Daily Times

On September 6, 2019, India’s remarkable journey to the moon culminated in an apparent failure, and its moon-craft, Vikram, lost contact, and consequently, could not land on the surface of the moon. This benchmark in the history of Indian outer space operations readily attracted international and regional attention. More importantly, New Delhi’s neighbour Islamabad perceived it to be a security threat and an increment to the already prevailing arms race between the two nuclear-armed archrivals.

Some commentators declared the ostensible failed Indian attempt to be an eye-opening moment for Pakistan, and some argued the event to be the beginning of a ‘Star Wars’ and space race between the two, reminiscent of the Soviet Sputnik and the subsequent American Apollo. Quite a many even feared the use of outer space for military purposes by India to inflict damage to Pakistan.

Let us now dissect the event by drawing four dimensions. First, undoubtedly, the event marked India’s great power aspirations and its capabilities in sending the spacecraft to such great distances. Though the Chandrayaan-2 could not land on the moon; however, it was nearly three kilometres away from touching down. It is clear as a day that India has acquired sophisticated technology, equipment and technical know-how to launch such vehicles. It can be argued that this major development surely would have a long lasting impact on the region.

Second, the launch of Chandrayaan-2 reveals the advancement made indigenously by India. This advancement can readily be translated in military advantage over New Delhi’s neighbour Pakistan, and perhaps vis-à-vis China. Outer space is one of the four global commons and a shared legacy of the human kind; however, it has a great potential of being weaponised and militarised.

Third, apart from the advantages in communications and military dimensions, it is pertinent to inquire the Indian aims and objectives while maintaining presence in the outer space. For instance, is New Delhi keen to explore outer space or it is a just matter of power and prestige.

The fourth dimension regarding India’s lunar mission can be explained using its strategic history as well as the legacy. It is surely thought provoking. Historically, for more than three centuries (1526-1857), the Great Mughals ruled India, and its geography stretched from Central Asia towards Bengal, and even somewhat to East Asia. The founder of the Mughal Dynasty in India and its first Emperor Babur was an invader, who descended upon Delhi hailing from the Fergana Valley located at the tri-junction of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Babur was the eldest son of Umar Shaikh Mirza and the great-grandson of Amir Timur-the Tamerlane.

BJP’s unsuccessful lunar mission and desperate drive in making India great attested and confirmed the technological advancements made by its Muslim Mughal rulers

Babur’s great-great-grandfather was Mirza Muhammad Taraghay bin Shahrukh Beg who was also known as Ulugh Beg. The latter was a man of great knowledge and his expertise included astronomy and mathematics. His dedication in exploring outer space can be well judged by the construction of the Ulugh Beg Observatory, circa 1420, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, that still exists today while trumpeting its indelible bequest.

Interestingly, Ulugh Beg was hailed by Jamie Carter of Forbes magazine in his article “The Tragic Story of The Man Who Unlocked the Universe” (November 27, 2018). Carter praised Beg’s contributions towards astronomy and cited the discoveries of a planet named as ‘Ulugh Beg 2439’ and ‘Ulugh Beg Crater’ located at the North-West of Oceanus Procellarum of the moon.

It is astonishing that Ulugh Beg made these discoveries in the fifteenth century, and his achievements were later acknowledged globally, including by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Arguably, although the Mughal Empire was defeated at the hands of the British East India Company in 1857 and its glowing legacy was deliberately faked and faded, Ulugh Beg’s name still exists in the sphere of outer space and will continue to be in the conceivable future.

In hindsight, all the four dimensions greatly explain India’s lunar mission. However, I argue that the fourth dimension has relatively strong potential in elucidating India’s obsession with the outer space, as it is the part and parcel of its strategic history and legacy. Unfortunately, today’s India is lurking under the eyes of right wing extremism, primarily driven by ‘saffron terrorism’ due to its roots in the Hindutva ideology, spearheaded by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP is the most dominant and instrumental tool of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) that has been relentlessly dwindling Indian identity right from its onset in September 1925.It is evident that India cannot escape its strategic history and legacy despite of a multi-vectored campaign orchestrated by the BJP and RSS in creating a new identity for India, whilst denying India of its glowing historical Muslim rule. BJP’s unsuccessful lunar mission and desperate drive in making India great attested and confirmed the technological advancements made by its Muslim Mughal rulers.

The writer can be reached at mmab11@gmail.com