A controversy has arisen over naming of the Chandrayaan -3 landing site on the Moon as ‘Shiv Shakti’ point. There are those who see this as a decision in conflict with the concept of secularism to which India is wedded. More importantly, this is seen as a departure from the post-Independence era under Jawaharlal Nehru, who was agnostic or one who doubted the existence of a supreme being. This, even as Nehru admitted that the belief in God brought mental peace and comfort to innumerable tortured souls. “Too much dependence on supernatural factors may lead, and has often led to, a loss of self-reliance in man,” Nehru wrote in his Discovery of India. The first prime minister strived hard to promote a scientific temper just as he put India firmly on the growth track with early reliance on the introduction of steel plants to promote industrialization and huge dams to irrigate barren lands. He treated these dams as the ‘temples of modern India.’ All these had much to do with his eminent exposure to the West, his higher studies in Cambridge and associations with the evolution of progressive thoughts there. Notably, Nehru was instrumental in the start of India’s space explorations, though the present label ISRO came later. He had also made it a point to keep the department of space directly under the PMO so as to give it maximum governmental attention – a happy scenario that continues even today.
India has been changing in recent years under the BJP rule and this is an era where faith is gaining a matching importance with science; the anti-thesis of a scenario that Nehru had visualized and tried to promote. The growth of the BJP as a national political establishment was itself anchored in the campaign to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya – which was finally accomplished by the demolition of an old, discarded and dilapidated Babri Masjid. Religion is currently gaining more prominence in public engagements due to sustained efforts by top governmental functionaries themselves. Religion is a private affair and should not be confused with governmental engagements. Notably, ISRO scientists offering prayers at a temple before the launch of space missions also drew criticism. Aspects of faith cannot altogether be denied or rejected as it is an individual pursuit; and every scientist is an individual too. Yet, the selection of the name Shiva Shakti for the Chandrayaan–3 landing site signifies an emphasis on religious beliefs. While religion’s importance in the life of human beings cannot be wished away, an overemphasis might, as Nehru warned, work to the disadvantage of the nation. It could overshadow the spirit of inquiry and scientific temper.
