Anurag Thakur's cosmic curveball sparks lively debate on National Space Day

Una (Himachal Pradesh) Aug 24 (IANS) On a day meant to celebrate India’s soaring ambitions in space, former Union Minister Anurag Thakur took the conversation to a whole new orbit—mythological, that is.

Addressing a group of bright-eyed students at a PM Shri School in Una on National Space Day, Thakur posed a seemingly straightforward question: “Who was the first space traveller?” The students, in textbook unison, replied, “Neil Armstrong.”

But the five-time Parliamentarian from Hamirpur had a different answer in mind. With a smile, he offered, “Mujhe toh lagta hai Hanuman ji the” (I think it was Hanumanji).

The remark, delivered with theatrical flair, instantly lit up the room and later, the internet. Thakur posted the video on his X handle, captioned with reverence: “Pawansut Hanuman Ji… the first astronaut.” But this wasn’t just a quip.

Thakur followed up with a passionate appeal to the students and faculty: “As long as we do not know our thousands of years' old tradition, knowledge, culture, we will remain the same as the British have shown us. Think beyond textbooks. Look at our nation, our traditions, our knowledge.” Was this a light-hearted salute to India’s mythological imagination, or a deliberate nudge at how we define historical truth?

For the record, the first human to journey into space was Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in 1961. Neil Armstrong, often mistaken as the pioneer, was the first to walk on the Moon in 1969. India’s own space legacy began with Rakesh Sharma in 1984, and earlier this year, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the second Indian astronaut to venture into orbit.

Thakur’s comments (Indian Space Research Organisation) unveiled the model of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) in Delhi—a sleek, futuristic orbital lab slated to launch its first module by 2028 and become fully operational by 2035.

Designed for microgravity research, long-duration human missions, and even space tourism, the BAS marks India’s bold leap into the elite club of spacefaring nations. So, while Lord Hanuman’s leap to Lanka may remain a metaphorical marvel, India’s real countdown to space station glory is very much underway.

--IANS

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