Unity in diversity, method in madness, a ray in dark disarray; India is a country of contradictions. Our Mars Orbiter is well on its way to the red planet, but men down here are seeing red. Their question is simple: How can a country, financially in red, have space programmes? Yes, same trap. Another issue. This is how we debate issues.
How can the government build dams when almost half of India is still without toilets? Why are we buying guns for Army when the army of the hungry goes to bed on an empty stomach? How can you build toilets when education has not reached India's villages? Why is the government not focusing on food and healthcare instead of building highways? Why is TV showing five-star chefs cooking delicious meals when millions go hungry?
If you don't like the problem being addressed, raise another problem and call it priority. Well, millions do need food and as we know there are serious moves to provide them with food. The Mars Mission cost us Rs.450 crore. The money swindled during Commonwealth Games could send eight such probes to Mars.
You cannot buy half an IPL team with Rs.450 crore and in case you manage, you will end up with a lot of dirt, if not egg, on your face. Mangalyaan will bring glory. Sahara India spent this much money on buying half an F1 team.
Can we afford the glory? Well, it also brings in money. According to rough estimates, every rupee invested in space programmes gives a return of Rs.3.6. Do not look at Mars Mission, look at our space programmes, of which this is just a part. India's space programme has made it self-sufficient in launching satellites, saving a lot of dollars.
The 1999 cyclone cost Odisha 10,000 lives and thousands of crores in property. This time, our weather satellites gave us accurate data and we could minimise deaths. We need satellites for communication and broadcast and if we buy the services, we would end up paying more and owning nothing. So can we afford the glory? Yes!
What we cannot afford is make our space and other scientific programmes wait till all citizens have access to free food, free school and toilet. The Orbiter may fail to reach its destination, may reach the Mars orbit but fail to capture the data we need. Yes, failure is part of science. We will learn new ways of how not to do it.
For the scientists, both success and failure bring new learnings. Failure in science is like success in failure, unity in diversity, method in madness, a ray in disarray. After all, India is a country of contradictions.
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