Diamonds in the sky

THE population of the United States is 280 million. Six Americans and one Israeli were selected for the Columbia flight, to extend the frontiers of space. Kalpana Chawla must have been an exceptionally remarkable person to have made the grade and become an astronaut. Not only is the competition tough but the training is most demanding. The mental and physical stamina required is so rigorous that only the fittest can make the grade. Kalpana Chawla did. By doing so, she raised the sights of many young men and women everywhere.

The destruction of Columbia, was witnessed, thanks to modern technology, by billions of people around the globe. Minutes before their triumphant return to earth, seven heroes perished. Their memory will shine for all time, like diamonds in the sky.

I was in Peking (as it was then known) in 1957 when the first Sputnik was put into orbit by the Soviet Union. I remember how excited we in the Indian Embassy were. With our binoculars we tried to see the Sputnik but failed to do so as the sky was overcast. This was forty-six years ago. Now there are hundreds of satellites circling the earth and man has repeatedly broken the space barrier. Even landed men on the moon.

While I am all for encouraging and inculcating a spirit of adventure, of daring courage, I am not wholly convinced that the huge amounts spent on activities relating to manned flights to outer space have given the returns human kind had expected. How many of us can recall the names of the heroes who landed on the moon with the possible exception of Neil Armstrong? This is not to minimise the great work that astronauts, space scientists and engineers are doing in various parts of the world. While conquering space, some thought might also be given to the eradication of abject poverty in large parts of the globe.

Then there is the very grave issue of space being used for military purposes. It is reported that NASA's programmes are not as innocent as they are made out to be. Praful Bidwai has written: "The use of nuclear materials in spacecraft and rockets is part of the much larger... ... process of militarisation of space".

The smiling and cheerful persona of Kalpana Chawla will remain a part of our conscience as long as we live. Her achievement is so extraordinary that existing vocabularies are not adequate to do it the justice it deserves. Her family too consists of brave and balanced individuals. The way they have handled their profound grief has impressed everyone. The city of Karnal has now been put on the map of the world by Kalpana Chawla. My humble homage to her - a diamond in the sky.

THE Padma awards this year have aroused a fair amount of interest. The chief item being the non-selection of an Indian for the Bharat Ratna. These awards were instituted to recognise the contribution made by our citizens in various walks of life. I do not think the idea was to recognise the merit and shining qualities of those who have left us. There were very good reasons for this. Where do you begin with a posthumous award? What is the cut-off date? Prime Minister V.P. Singh selected Dr. B.R. Ambedkar for a posthumous Bharat Ratna. Since then a large number of names have been added. If we were to take this to its logical conclusion, then why not the Rani of Jhansi, why not Rabindranath Tagore, why not Raja Rammohan Roy. Why not Chattrpati Shivaji, Rana Pratap, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Maharaja Surajmal, Emperor Akbar. One can go right back to Kalidas and Emperor Ashoka. It is, therefore, worth considering if this practice of posthumous recognition by way of Bharat Ratna be perpetuated. Actually, it should be discontinued.

Strange things happen in our country. People who receive these awards are beginning to use them as prefixes and suffixes. These awards are not titles. It is, therefore, unseemly to bandy them in the manner some of us do. Indira Gandhi with her large-heartedness conferred the Padma Bhushan on me but I have never used it before or after my name. I would feel ashamed of myself if I did.

It is now becoming increasingly fashionable to refer to Governors as Excellencies. What a colonial mindset! Thirty years ago, no Governor was addressed in this manner. This is contrary to the letter and spirit of our democratic ethos. Worse still, the wives of Governors are called First Ladies. Mercifully, the President and the Prime Minister have no spouses, so no first or second ladies.

The retinues attached to Governors, the excessive staff at the Raj Bhavans are an assault on our harassed and destitute citizens. Why all this fuss and expense for the tired and the retired who have landed these comfortable jobs. Road traffic is held up for these "worthies". Why? I wish at least one of them would have the goodness to jettison the human and material paraphernalia surrounding him, and set an example. The Governor of one State has three Raj Bhavans in three parts of the State. It would be interesting to know how much each Governor costs the national exchequer and how much does he actually spend from his own pocket?