NEW DELHI: Visibly elated after the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the south pole of the moon on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “India is now on the moon! And this historic success belongs to 140-crore Indians and all humanity.”
Joining this moment from Johannesburg in South Africa, where he is to attend the BRICS, and addressing the ISRO scientists, PM Modi said the successful historic landing of Chandrayaan-3 has come as the dawn of new India.
“Hamne dharti par sankalp kiya aur chand per usse saakaar kiya” (We took a resolve on the earth and accomplished it on the moon), Modi said, adding that as no other country has reached the south pole of the moon before, India has become the first country to do so.
“Bravo to our scientists, as with their hard work India is now on the moon. Our successful Mission Moon is not only meant for India but for all humanity,” the PM remarked.
Elated at the success that defined India as one of the superpowers in space, the PM said, “This is a year in which the world is witnessing India’s G20 presidency. Our approach of ‘One Earth, One Family and One Future’ is resonating across the globe.”
He said India’s Moon Mission is based on a human-centric approach. “Therefore, this success belongs to all of humanity. I am confident that all countries in the world, including those from the Global South, are capable of achieving such feats. We can all aspire for the moon and beyond,” he asserted.
PM Modi said India’s successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 will change many myths related to the moon from now onwards. “The story will change. The proverbs will also change for the new generation. In India, we all call the earth as mother and the moon as ‘mama’ (maternal uncle). It was once said that ‘chanda mama’ is very far away but now children will say that ‘chanda mama’ is just a tour,” he said.
Dedicating the moment to the nation, he said this is a capability of 140 crore heartbeats of India and in the first light of ‘Amrit Kaal, the first ‘Amrit Varsha’ of success. Defining success as the eternal consciousness of a nation, the PM said the moment has given a clarion call of ‘Viksit Bharat’ as a victory call for India. “It has moved India on the ‘chandrapath’ of victory and has come for invoking the rising fortune of India,” he said.
Exuding confidence, the PM said the historic success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission will take India’s flight beyond the lunar orbits. “We will test the limits of our solar system, and work to realise the infinite possibilities of the universe for humans,” the PM said, informing the nation that ISRO will soon launch the ‘Aditya L-1’ mission for a detailed study of the Sun (Solar system).
Congratulating the scientists, he said India has again proved that the sky is not the limit. “We are witness to the new flight of new India. New history has been written,” the PM said.
Modi also dwelt upon India gearing up for its first human-crewed space flight mission in the near future. He said science and technology are the basis of the bright future of the country. “This day also signifies how victory is achieved from the lesson of defeat,” the PM said referring to the preceding Chandrayaan-2 mission which failed to make a soft landing in September 2019.
Malayali connection to the Moon mission
Experts weigh in
“Discovery of water (abundance) near the polar regions of the Moon by Chandrayaan-1 mission has spurred many countries 'back to the Moon', targeting the regions around the South Pole of the Moon. Now with the soft landing of the Chandrayaan-3's lander, I foresee international lunar exploration programs may further get accelerated. Instead of the Cold War that was the underlying factor for the lunar missions of the 60s and 70s, let the present new millennium rush to the Moon to mark a peaceful co-existence of all stakeholders on the Moon for the betterment of humanity.”
— Mylswamy Annadurai, former director, ISRO Satellite Centre, popularly known as ‘Moon Man of India’ for Chandrayaan-1 and 2 and Mangalyaan
“So exciting and gratifying to see the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3; history is surely created for Naya Bharat (modern India). Hearty congratulations to Team ISRO - the scientists tirelessly worked day and night and, not to forget, through the pandemic, risking their own lives to a certain extent. Congratulations to one and all from the academia and industry as well, who were equally passionate about this mission and stood as pillars of support for ISRO. A new India has arrived. The next target would be going to Mars, Venus and beyond....the immediate next, however, is the Sun God after the Moon God. All the best to the entire team for the upcoming Aditya L1 mission, to be launched very soon.”
— Dr Radhakant Padhi, HAL Chair Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
'Tears of Joy'