Most likely because the Department of Space comes under the Prime Minister.[1] And it was very important to assure the international community that we are not going to use it for attacking another country. PM's direct involvement helps this very much. The Chinese test got a significant negative reaction because of the ignorance from the top leadership.
That doesn't hold water because he wasn't the one who made the Balakot airstrike announcement. While he did announce Mars Orbiter Mission(because the reason I stated in the parent) when there were no elections around. You're free to draw whatever conclusions you want.
The man said nothing, absolutely nothing during the Balakot event. Which is fine, because the whole thing was a cockup anyway. That didn't stop his base from celebrating the event. (Disclaimer: I don't support Pakistan, but you have to add this disclaimer lest you're called "anti-national" by his base)
Anyway, you have to agree the mans a propoganda machine. Just like at the release timeline for the movie Uri...
Pretty funny you should mention Nehru. Tweets from official Congress party account credits today’s event to Nehru. Both sides resort to the same kind of tactics.
Yeah, both main parties are stuck in the past. The BJP is horrible for obvious reasons, and there is no good opposition party. The upcoming election is going to be a shitshow.
Jawaharlal Nehru and Abul Kalam Azad pretty much built entirety of India's Human resources development and Industrial infrastructure with what was one of the poorest countries at the time.
Historic opportunity meets historic people. Jawaharlal Nehru is one of the best things to happen to India both politically and economically. 5 year plans effectively, though taken from the communist governments of USSR, were one of the greatest political innovations of the age. Focus on big things, 5 years at a time and get it done. Agriculture, industrialization, educational infrastructure, space programs, domestic industrial infrastructure, highways, green revolution, white revolution etc. If you are sitting and working in place like Bangalore, that comes from Industrial infrastructure and its inertial effects on educational institutions around Bangalore.
Needless to say garden variety international foreign affairs policies. Which include but do not end at NAM. Which prevented India from becoming a thugs for hire nation for cold war super powers.
This is above and beyond his pivotal role in India's independence movement.
Eh, I'm not questioning what Nehru did for the country. That's not even the point of discussion. But it is pretty idiotic to attribute recent technological/military success to Nehru, just as it is idiotic to blame him for today's problems in the country.
Modi takes the credit for anything achieved by the government or government backed entities like the space organisation. He singlehandedly opened bank accounts (that are empty), surgically struck Pakistan (with his bare hands), got us to space, developed missiles, brought the black money back, won the cricket world cup, created jobs, built the mandir (that's built, right?) and a million other achievements.
What's curious is that he seems to go missing when there's a fuck up. Who was responsible for demonetization? No idea, blame anyone you want but don't blame him!
Sure, why not? Take credit for whatever you have done, it's naive to think that politicians will not showcase their work. Tell me what do you write in your resume?
Finding personal faults with any public person is pointless (as in having an effect on you). What matters is whether the results are good/bad.
* His list of achievements is absurd and factually incorrect, and he rarely gives credit to others who contributed.
* He hates criticism and tries to muzzle it. A politician should not interfere with the press but he does so. He has gotten journalists fired because they criticised him.
So you think the entire exercise was carried out for BJP to pull ahead in elections? How much do you think Indian citizens care about this? Do you think it is enough to swing votes?
It is definitely possible that the exercise was carried out independent of the election schedule, but Modi announcing it (instead of some lower official) is because of the elections, part of making every bit of possible patriotism count.
Don't be too quick to overstate others' positions!
Modi heads the Department of Space. He has every right to announce it whether you like it or not.
As far as overstating positions go, the opposition in India was quick to jump to conspiracy theories after the Pulwama attack saying that Modi orchestrated the entire attack for political gains. This ridiculous conspiracy theory mongering has gone on to unprecedented levels this election. After failing at making a dent for the past 1 year by parroting Rafale lies, the opposition is now trying to find a new issue to latch onto.
It can't be that you keep throwing darts until one of them sticks! That is not how a responsible opposition should behave!
I'm not Indian (or from any nearby country!). I do not care if BJP wins the next election or whatever is going on. I am not part of the opposition. Your passion is so overwrought that you are seeing opposition where it isn't.
Not the entire exercise. But the publishing of the fact imo is to grt better traction for the election. Between such announcements and the modi biopic movie during the elections, i am betting that modi marketing momentum is not going to stop.
Well, I've heard people saying that everything from the Pulwama attack to Balakot airstrikes was orchestrated by BJP for electoral gains. So reading the grand parent wasn't surprising.
> China managed to not have Xi Jinping announce when they did it.
Which test you're talking about? Xi wasn't leading China back in 2007. And thanks to the ignorance of their top brass, the Chinese received considerable negative reaction after the test.[1]
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/27/modi-space-wea... "veteran broadcaster Shekhar Gupta tweeted that the space missile had destroyed two targets: a satellite, and “what remained of the stature [and] reputation of Election Commission of India”"
Shooting down your own satellite isn't an "issue of national security."
And the question isn't whether it is permissible, but rather was it an obvious opportunistic move? The answer to the latter is yes to pretty much all of the outside observers.
They shot the satellite with a "missile". And it was a demonstration of what we would do when a spy satellite hovers above us during "wartime". The PM in his address clearly said that this successful test makes "India" more "secure". Considering all this, it pretty much qualifies to be a national security issue to me.
> And the question isn't whether it is permissible, but rather was it an obvious opportunistic move?
Why don't you register a complaint with ECI and take BJP to court? Any lawyer worth their salt will reject to take your case unless they like losing. I am sure now you will attack the Indian judiciary and how BJP has "compromised" that as well. There is no end to this kind of BS argument. Just be happy for India.
And point to be noted is that this one was just after the election. So it seems like elections have not been a major factor in these kinds of announcement in India.
To be clear, I'm not objecting to the weapons existence. I'm objecting to the tests, which are potentially worse than above-ground nuclear testing. The kessler syndrome, if realized, would permanently destroy our ability to deploy, access, and use space resources.
Anti-satellite weapon tests? Only twice. Once in 1985, which was internationally condemned and widely considered a mistake, and once operationally in 2008 to destroy a failed satellite about to re-enter with a full tank of toxic fuel (the debris from this immediately entered the atmosphere).
