Tag: #MissionShakti

Mind Earthly Matters

MissionShakti – ‘Mind Earthly Matters’

By LokMarg Publishing

Sudesna Santikari, a senior counselor with the West Bengal AIDS Control Society in Kolkata, feels that India’s entry into an elite space club after Mission Shakti is a matter of pride, but people should not get carried away by it and vote wisely by taking real issues into consideration.

When people heard that Narendra Modi had tweeted about making a ‘big announcement’, several people got anxious. Was it going to be something similar to demonetisation? But most were pleasantly surprised when the suspense finally unfolded. The Prime Minister announced that India had achieved Anti-satellite technology. I felt proud as details of Mission Shakti started trickling in my news feed.

Kudos to the scientists at Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). A satellite that was shot down was a pre-determined target orbiting at an altitude of 300 km. And all this was achieved in three minutes flat! We are now part of an elite club of countries including U. S., Russia and China that have this technology at their disposal.

This is surely a great strategic move and I hope the technology is used wisely. A lot of people get swayed by such strategic advancements and resort to war mongering, while ground realities of poverty, access to good healthcare and education are conveniently brushed under the carpet. These issues are of utmost importance and therefore, I feel that it is very important to choose your Member of Parliament wisely.

Has your MP worked for your area? What do the other candidates offer? It is very important to find answers for these questions and vote wisely rather than get carried away by what is happening at the Centre. Yes, India has another feather in its ‘space cap’, but local issues need attention too. The existing MPs need to pull up their socks, for the janta will take into consideration the work they have done for their constituency before deciding on their vote.

I feel the rotational democracy is the best system for a country like ours where people are so sharply divided along political lines. When our leaders know they have to wait five years for the next chance to be in power, perhaps they will start behaving more responsibly towards local issues. That would bring about some healthy competition too.

I feel we would have more such proud moments as a nation then and would not have to wait for only a Mission Shakti to make us feel proud, happy and safe.

Credit Goes To Scientists

MissionShakti – ‘Credit Goes To Scientists’

By LokMarg Publishing

Shweta Singh, 30, a teacher in Godda, Jharkhand, keeps herself updated on current affairs. When she read about the Mission Shakti launch, she was delighted and was thankful to the scientists who keep India’s air space secure

I teach Social Science and Hindi to students from Classes VI to VIII. I understand that it is the teachers of today who lay the foundation stones for a better tomorrow. And in order to be a good Social Science teacher I have to keep myself updated with the latest news, though I don’t always get the time for it, what with having to raise two young children.

However, I did manage to read up a little about the Mission Shakti launch. And I am proud of what DRDO (Defence Research And Development Organisation) has managed to achieve for the country. While the current government launched the programme, the major credit should go to the scientists who put in sleepless nights for the success of this mission.

I was surprised to know that it took the anti-satellite or A-SAT missile only three minutes to shoot down its intended target (a low-orbit satellite that was launched by ISRO on January 24). It is a proud moment for us because we are the fourth country in the world to have this technology at our disposal, apart from United States, Russia and China. I am pleasantly surprised to know that unlike China, India has been careful about minimising space debris as well.

Moves like these don’t impact people’s lives directly, but it does put them in a better headspace. This should be a moment of pride for all Indians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned that the missile is meant only as a defence measure even though it has the power to jam or destroy an enemy country’s satellite in space.

People should understand that with great powers come great responsibilities, and we should behave responsibly. I totally support the many strategic moves by the current government, but I don’t support the war cry from many sections of the society thereafter.

I wasn’t able to vote in 2014, but this time I intend to actively participate in building up the country by casting my precious vote.