Pakistan is growing faster than India. Pakistan is two steps ahead of India in science. In fact, Pakistan is defeating India in the space sector.
If I say all these things, then you will laugh at me. But there was a time when these statements were true. Pakistan reached space before India. then how come India got ahead of Pakistan today? because of one hero, whose name is Vikram Sarabhai. today we enjoy cricket matches on tv. We dream about going to IIM, Ahmedabad, or somewhere else. feel proud after watching ISRO’s achievements. But all these things were possible only because of one man’s vision.
Who was Vikram Sarabhai?
Vikram Sarabhai was born into one of India’s richest families. He had a degree from Cambridge, he had money, and he also had the opportunity to work outside India. but he took a decision that we cannot understand. the decision to stay in India. why? because he had a dream. a dream of taking India to space. Whenever he would say this, people would laugh at him. In fact, once a newspaper printed the headline, “India needs rice, not rockets,” and this was true. In 1947, after the British left, India became one of the poorest countries. People didn’t even have food to eat. We were surviving on foreign aid. We were begging from the rich countries. People asked why a poor country like India needs a space program, and Sarabhai confidently replied: because India is a poor country, and that’s why we need a space program. because space technology has that potential, which can help India in its development. which can solve our real-life problems, and that is what happens today. due to the space program, we get weather information on time. which helps farmers make their decisions, and we get to know well in time about the upcoming cyclones. and this helps in disaster management; space technology contributes to keeping our borders secure. He and his friend Dr. Homi Bhabha achieved such things for India in a few years, due to which even a powerful country like Pakistan was left behind.
The Space Race
In 1957, USSR did a Miracle. They sent an artificial moon into space named Sputnik. This artificial satellite was just the size of a football. But when it reached space, it spread two messages throughout the world.
1. The USSR reached space before America.
2. Entering the space is possible for every country.
After a few months, they also sent a dog named Laika into space. America got scared. NASA was lagging behind in the space race. URRS’s progress was bad news for America. but a ray of hope for other countries. We all know about the space race between America and the USSR. but India and Pakistan were also in a space race. Dr. Abdus Salam was one of the smartest minds in Pakistan. it was due to his genius. in the year 1961, Pakistan Launched its space program and also a sounding rocket just the next year. eight years before India’s space program, after the USSR, Japan, and Israel. Pakistan was the fourth country from Asia to go into space. But how did they do this? because of America’s help. America too wanted to create its dominance in the space race, the American president had announced, they before the 1970’s they will reach the moon. This was a big commitment, and to fulfil it, the more allies and scientists they get, the better. They wanted a partner near the Indian Ocean, and Pakistan grabbed this opportunity. In 1961, they established SUPARCO and the organisation itself the following year. They launched their first rocket with NASA’s help. By now, India’s space programme had not even started. Now Pakistan was progressing, which is good. How does this matter to India? It matters because space and military technology go hand in hand. The same technology that can be used by rockets going into space can also be used by missiles attacking India. and Vikram Sarabhai knew this.
India Fights Back
Vikram Sarabhai understood the situation; he had a long list of problems. What did India not have? no infrastructure. no people who can lead India, on money for good scientists. At that time, India had nothing. but we had hope. He started addressing these problems one by one, and at the same time, he made one more list. the list of our strengths Vikram Sarabhai was an expert in the field of cosmic rays. He was trained by Nobel Prize winner C.V. Raman, and he had good contacts in France and America. He had an important task at hand without any space program, without equipment, and without money. convince the world to invest in India’s space sector. We have strength, and it can help the whole world. and he made this happen. America provided their Apache rockets, and France provided the payload for free. These materials were transported on a bullock cart to the Tumba launching station, and on November 22, 1963, India launched its first sounding rocket. Sarabhai made possible what was impossible.
ISRO and its Achievements
Even after its rocket launch, it took six years for ISRO to form as an organization. How did ISRO grow after that? They used the leapfrogging approach for growth. which means taking advantage of the technology already developed by other countries. Don’t waste time creating the same thing; get ahead. This approach opened the door to many opportunities for India. ISRO conducted an experiment named SITE (Satellite Instructional Television Experiment), and due to this, education was provided in 2400 villages to thousands of people through satellites. In 1983, ISRO launched INSAT, our first satellite communications system. we already have reached Moon and Mars and now getting ready to go to Venus. whereas, Pakistan was left behind in this space race, so much that they still don’t have their indigenous satellite launching system. their target is to launch their satellites by 2040 by themselves. and India is launching satellites for other countries, building records, and making profits.
So what went wrong with Pakistan?
Why was SUPARCO Pakistan’s space programme left behind? Why was Pakistan defeated in this space race with India? Because India focused on Sarabhai’s vision using the application of advanced technology focused on solving real-life problems, and Pakistan focused on developing weapons. It focused on destroying India. Pakistan’s PM has himself said, “The people of Pakistan will go hungry. We will eat grass, but we will get our bomb.” India’s and Pakistan’s stories get clarity after understanding. the story of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and Dr. Abdus Salam. Dr. Abdus Salam was a great scientist; he will also get a Nobel Prize in the future. but in the year 1974 prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto passed a bill. which declared Ahmadi people as Non Muslims. Due to this new law, a great person like Dr. Abdus Salam was removed from SUPARCO’s head position. Dr. Salam loved his country; Vikram Sarabhai loved his country. But only one country loved its scientists back, and that’s the difference.
This story is not meant to demean or belittle Pakistan. but to learn from their political mistakes. it is ask question to ourself, that do we still respect out scientists. the same way as we did previously. When we had nothing, we had hope, and we still managed to do so much. But now that we have everything, why can’t we spend more on research and development? Why can’t we pay a good salary to our scientists? We need to ask this question as a country.
ISRO, IIM Ahmedabad, physical research laboratories we consider these, as temples of modern India and to make these these temples Vikram Sarabhai invested his whole life.despite having a degree from Cambridge and having opportunities abroad. He decided to stay here and do something for India. Leaving an easy, comfortable life, he chose a stressful one. may be due to this stress, one night Vikram Sarabhai died, he was only 52. 30th December Vikram Sarabhai left this world. but his contribution is alive even today. a person dies not just once but twice. once, when he himself dies, and a second time, when he also dies from our memory.