Chandrayaan-3 ignites debate over India’s secular values
Editor,
In a surprising turn of events, the Chandrayaan 3 mission, India’s ambitious lunar exploration project, has come under scrutiny for what some critics are calling an overbearing Hindu influence, sparking a debate over the country’s commitment to its secular principles. The unveiling of the Chandrayaan 3 mission emblem, featuring the iconic imagery of the moon goddess Chandramaa and the symbolic representation of Shiv Shakti, has sparked a heated national debate over the balance between cultural heritage and India’s secular principles .While many view this as a celebration of India’s cultural heritage, others are voicing concerns that such overt religious symbolism goes against the principles of a secular state.
Critics argue that the use of a Hindu deity on a nationally funded and significant scientific endeavour blurs the lines between religion and state. They fear that this could alienate India’s diverse population, which includes a multitude of religions, faiths, and beliefs. The mission emblem’s Hindu symbolism, they say, sends a message that the government may be favouring one religion over others, thereby diluting the secular fabric of the nation. Supporters of the mission, however, contend that the use of Chandramaa’s image is a reflection of India’s rich cultural tapestry and its historical connection to space exploration. They point out that space missions often draw inspiration from various sources, including art, literature, and mythology, to symbolize human curiosity and aspiration.
The Indian government has responded to the controversy by emphasizing that the use of Chandramaa’s image is not meant to promote any particular religion but is intended to be a representation of India’s cultural heritage. They maintain that the country’s secular values remain intact, and the mission is a testament to India’s scientific and technological prowess. Scholars and experts are divided on the issue. Some argue that a nation’s cultural symbols can coexist with its secular ideals, while others caution against mixing religious and scientific endeavours on such a public platform.
The Chandrayaan 3 mission itself remains a crucial endeavour for India, aiming to build upon the successes of its predecessors and further the nation’s space exploration capabilities. As the debate over the mission’s emblem symbolism rages on, it highlights broader questions about how a country can celebrate its cultural heritage while upholding the principles of secularism. In a nation as diverse as India, where people from different backgrounds come together to form a unified whole, striking the right balance between cultural expression and secularism remains an ongoing challenge. As Chandrayaan-3 propels India’s space exploration journey forward, the nation grapples with the implications of its cultural past on its path to a scientifically advanced future.
Yours etc.,
Maven Nongrum,
Via email
A global political village in the horizon
Editor,
It was interesting to listen to the Prime Minister’s speech after the Chandrayaan-3 historic landing on the moon. This is India’s biggest achievement in space yet the Prime Minister also chose to laud India’s achievement as an achievement of the world and he also said that India’s achievement should inspire the Global South to follow in India’s footsteps. He also said he hoped that in the future they will replicate such feats. The main takeaway from what the Prime Minister said is that the world is moving closer to becoming one global village politically thereby paving the way for some sort of a robust form of global governance in the not-too-distant future.
Crisis, collective struggle, suffering, tragedy, loss and pain has resulted in not just a particular community or country but the entire world coming closer together. What happened in the 1950’s in Nagaland resulted in the people of Nagaland becoming a coherent community. I feel the diverse tribes of Nagaland with mutually unintelligible dialects wouldn’t have become a coherent group had it not been because of the crisis, suffering, tragedy, loss and pain they suffered collectively in the 1950’s.Likewise the freedom struggle managed to unite the people of India from Kanyakumari to Kashmir; had it not been because of the freedom struggle, India becoming a single entity would have been really difficult to achieve because of the great linguistic divide between the north and south, east and west. At the global level, the suffering, tragedy, loss and pain that the world experienced during World War II brought the world closer together and resulted in the formation of the United Nations which paved the way for the semblance of global governance that exists in the world today.
Yours etc.,
Gary Marbaniang,
Via email
Supreme Court on RTI
Editor,
The Supreme Court has directed the Central Information Commission (CIC) and the State Information Commissions (SICs) to ensure proper implementation of the mandate of Section 4 of the RTI Act under which the public authorities are statutorily obliged to maintain all public records and to disseminate information for easy accessibility to the public.
The order came from a three-judge Bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha and Justice JB Pardiwala on a petition filed by Kishan Chand Jain seeking effective implementation of the mandate of Section 4 of the RTI Act dealing with the obligations of the public.
Repeated interventions by various courts to enforce the provisions of the RTI Act highlight a concerning trend. The increasing number of lawsuits at both the CIC and SICs indicates that the public is being denied access to information following RTI guidelines. The Department of Personnel and Training had issued an Office Memorandum mandating third-party audits, but participation in these audits had been lacking. This situation is especially troubling since it necessitates the highest court in the country to step in to safeguard the RTI Act. The RTI Act was enacted to bring transparency and accountability to the system, and any denial of information runs counter to the very essence of the RTI Act. The right approach will be to ensure that the public has access to essential information without the need for formal requests, promoting a more open and informed society.
This ruling is a significant boost for RTI activists, who tirelessly work to promote transparency and accountability within the system. Their efforts are crucial in upholding the principles on which the RTI Act was founded, and this directive from the Supreme Court reinforces the importance of their work. It serves as a reminder that the RTI Act is a vital tool for ensuring Government accountability and that it must be upheld and enforced diligently
Yours etc.,
Yash Pal Ralhan,
Via email