Indian Idol?

The euphoria generated by Kalpana8217;s flight and the sense of grief at her untimely death was possibly justified 8212; after all, here was a girl from small-town India, who fulfilled her dream of becoming an aerospace engineer against all odds. She studied in a non-descript school in Karnal and then got an engineering degree from Chandigarh before moving to the US. She completed her studies in the US including a doctorate in aerospace engineering before joining NASA as a researcher. In 1994, she was selected by NASA as an astronaut and performed brilliantly. There was plenty to be proud of.

Kalpana8217;s life became a source of inspiration for many of our girls. The Indian state and other institutions also honoured her after her death 8212; from Indian meteorological satellites being named Kalpana to a girl8217;s hostel at her alma mater to an Amar Chitra Katha comic book 8212; Kalpana had kindled a sense of pride in us.

Strangely, some of that pride is once again visible with Sunita Lyn Williams. Sunita, daughter of an Indian doctor father and a Slovenian mother, was born and brought up in the US. She was commissioned in the United States Navy in 1987 and is an aviator who has done active war duty during the Operation Desert Shield during the Gulf War. She is as American as one can be, as is evident from her biography.

It is remarkable, given her background, millions around India still take pride in her achievements 8212; not as a woman achiever which she undoubtedly is, but as an Indian! How does she become an Indian? Or for that matter, even an Indian-American as the media seems to refer to her? Because her father emigrated from Gujarat in the early sixties? Or because she took with her the Bhagvad Gita and a small figurine of Ganesh to the Space Station? Or, given the news it created, because she ate samosas during her stay in outer space?

Kalpana Chawla was born here, spent her formative years in India and was educated in India. Thus, there could be some rationale in calling her an Indian-American and take some pride in her achievements as a nation. But the nationalistic pride on display for Sunita is somewhat misplaced.

In all this hoopla, the 8220;first and real Indian space hero8221; seems to be almost forgotten 8212; Rakesh Sharma, an Indian air force pilot, became the first and the only Indian to go into space. On April 2, 1984, Sharma was launched aboard a Soyuz T-11 spacecraft to go to the Salyut 7 Space Station. He spent eight days in space along with other cosmonauts and carried out some experiments.

Though we rode piggy-back on Soviet technology, Sharma8217;s space odyssey did wonders to our self-image about our capabilities as a scientific power. He was accorded a hero8217;s welcome on his return and awarded several medals. The national pride was most evident in the famous and mandatory! telephone call made by Mrs Gandhi to the Space Station in which she asked how India looked from space and he replied, 8220;Saare jahan se achcha8221;!

Our space programme has been one of the great success stories of post-Independence India 8212; from the sounding rockets sent off from Thumba in 1962 to the GSLV and now the planned Chandrayan mission in 2008. Dedicated scientists and a supportive political leadership have enabled India to join the elite space club, a fact in which we can take immense pride. Sunita8217;s achievements in space need to be applauded and appreciated. But, maybe we could learn from one of Kalpana8217;s favourite quote from the Roman stoic philosopher Seneca 8212; 8220;I was not born for one corner; the whole world is my native land.8221;

The writer is professor of physics and astrophysics and

director of Delhi University Computer Centre, University of Delhi