Click to play video"I am half Indian and have got a - I am sure - group of Indian people who are looking forward to seeing this second person of Indian origin flying up in space. So, it is nice to know that everybody brings along with them a group of people from all over the world to get interested in space.”
When ISS astronaut Sunita Williams made this statement, little did she know that back in India – the country that gave her half her genes – will be waiting with bated breath, glued to television sets till late night to see her safely land after a six-month space odyssey.
Sunita Lyn Williams began her record-breaking flight in December 2006 under the shadow of the Columbia disaster – that killed Indian astronaut Kalpana Chawla - and with the wishes of an entire nation.
The daughter of an Indian doctor and a Slovenian mother, 41-year-old Sunita - who as a child thought India was a fantasy land – did not forget her Indian roots. She reads the Bhagvad Gita, loves palak paneer and halwa (Indian delicacies) and her favourite snack remains the samosa.
However, it must not be forgotten that Sunita is an American citizen and shares, arguably, only a faint connection with India.
While critics opine that eulogising Sunita reflects on the Indian obsession with all things American, the supporters say she is a global icon who needs to be celebrated as India needed icons.
So does it imply that Sunita has filled in the gap made by Kalpana Chawla – arguably more Indian than Sunita – and has become truly an Indian idol?
As Atlantis geared to touch base with Earth, CNN-IBN debated that big question on the showFace the Nation conducted by Sagarika Ghose. On the panel to discuss the issue were Professor of Physics Shobhit Mahajan; Blogger and Editor-of JAM Magazine Rashmi Bansal andCo Founder and COO, MindTree Consulting Subroto Bagchi.
American by nationality, Indian by popularity
The discussion began with a mention of Shobhit Mahajan’s article that appeared in a national daily Friday, arguing that the nationalist interest in Sunita Williams was completely misplaced.
On the show too he stood firm by his argument. “Despite your report of her reading Bhagwat Geeta and eating palak paneer, I would still insist on that. So what? There are lost of people who have nothing to do with India and do the same. Yes, she is a great achiever and has done the world proud. She is a role model for millions of women across the world. But does that make her an Indian? I don’t see how we can appropriate her as an Indian,” he argued.
But isn’t the celebration of her feat a reflection of a globalised society that celebrates all talent across the world? Just why do the detractors/critics feel the interest in Sunita reflects an inherent inferiority complex among Indians – a tendency to appropriate anyone with a faint connection to India.
Subroto Bagchi was the most vocal about his opinion and repeatedly insisted Sunita was an idol and an Indian idol at that.
“Biologically she is Indian. Let there be no controversy about this. She is as Indian as you and I and if anyone has a doubt, get a DNA test done. She is not remotely connected to India, but is displaced or disconnected from India by a generation. Out of 6.5 billion people on earth, only 456 have gone into space. Here’s one person –one among the two women – to have made that mark. I think it’s a great thing,” said Subroto Bachi.
He also said it was important for Indians to consider Sunita’s feat a celebration of Indianness.
Obsessed with the West
As while half Indian population comprised women, only 18 per cent of them made it to the work force. This, Bagchi argued, made her an icon for Indian women.
He found a hesitant supporter in Rashmi Bansal who took a rather safe stand and said space and space technology was a field that went beyond the traditional boundaries of gender and nationality and was something bigger and more significant than humanity.
"Out of 6.5 billion people on earth, only 456 have gone into space. Sunita is one among the two women to have made that mark. I think it’s a great thing," said Subroto Bagchi. |
She defended idolising Sunita with an objective point of view. “I think everyone needs idols and heroes. There are just too few of them. A child dreams of becoming someone big, typically MBA, lawyer, engineer or doctor. But this is something bigger than that,” she said.
Rashmi also pointed out that hailing Sunita was also an idication of a increasingly globalised world. “In an ideal world, we shouldn’t care if it’s a Russian, American or an Eskimo who makes it big in space. If someone’s spent six months up there, it’s a great achievement and we should celebrate it like that,” she said.
But Mahajan who seemed the most anti-idolism of the panelists strongly disagreed with both the others and said part of the reason behind the jubilation could be attributed to India’s obsession with the West. He also corrected the other two speakers, on facts and on perceptions.
“I’d like to correct Mr Bagchi that she is only half Indian. She is not completely biologically Indian as you and I. But that’s besides the point. Yes, it’s true we look towards the West for idols and icons, more so now because of media and exposure. I don’t see media reporting on good work done in sub-Saharan Africa for instance. There’s no lack of idols in India, we need to look for them,” he said.
Mahajan said if only Indians could look closer home they would find many icons in scientists who work for Indian space agencies as well.
Sunita: an easy icon?
The discussion largely hovered around whether deification of Sunita was an indication of an Indian obsession with all things American.
After all, Italy took no pride in Sonia Gandhi, Albania did not go out of its way to celebrate Mother Teresa and England couldn’t care much for architect Lauri Baker who made India his home.
So just why are Indians bending over backwards to eulogise Sunita?
Bagchi said calling this mindset ‘slavery’ was simplifying the issue way too much. “We need to go beyond all of that. This doenst matter. One should understand that there’s a need for making an Indian role model out of a woman like her. A woman with name Sunita, with a father who has a strong Indian background and convinces us of his Indianness in his biography should be celebrated,” he said, pointing out that India needed to move out of the parochial definition of an Indian.
But just how many Indian youngsters know of the icons of their generation? After all, isn’t it the sheer lack of icons in India that forces many to look up to Indians outside.
Rashmi Bansal, whose father is an astro-physicist, said it was unfortunate that not many youngsters wanted to be a part of this field. “Everyone’s after the money and so if someone like Sunita as an icon who captures the imagination of the nation. Young people are global and the nationality of the icon doesn’t matter,” she said.
"So what if she eats palak paneer and reads Bhagwat Geeta? Many non-Indians do that," said Prof Mahajan. |
At this point of time, Mahajan also agreed with Rashmi and said he had no problems with Sunita being iconised for her achievements. But he had a point to make too. “Let’s just not call her an Indian icon. Let’s call her an icon of humanity. She is an inspiration for people across the world so let’s not appropriate her to India. We aren’t celebrating the other astronauts, are we?” he argued.
He also made a strong point that Sunita had a Slovenian mother and that country was not celebrating her feat.
This statement elicited a strong response from Bagchi. “If Tagore were alive today, he would have countered Prof Mahajan by saying that sounds like a narrow stream of reason,” he said.
At the end of the show, while all panelists remained steadfast on their stands, the opinion poll results reflected the popular sentiment.
Is Sunita Williams truly an Indian idol?
Yes: 74 per cent
No: 26 per cent
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