Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an exclusive interview to NDTV, explained why the government named the spot on the Moon where India’s Chandrayaan-3 lander Vikram touched down as ‘Shiv Shakti’.
On August 23, 2023, the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander successfully touched down on the dark side of the Moon near the south pole. The Pragyaan rover onboard the lander rolled down and left imprints of the national emblem on the surface.
Three days later, the Prime Minister addressed ISRO scientists in Bengaluru and named the spot ‘Shiv Shakti’.
When asked why the Prime Minister named it ‘Shiv Shakti’ and not something else, he said, “We could’ve been named something else. If they (Opposition) were in power, they would’ve named it after their family…but I cannot do that. India has given a philosophy to the world and I feel proud in naming it after the idea which controls the universe (Shiv Shakti).”
“When I say ‘Shiv Shakti’, 140 crore people of India can connect with it. If a family had named it, then only a section of the population could connect with it,” he added.
“Shiv Shakti is a name that motivates and empowers. It is a name that guides people,” the Prime Minister explained.
The Prime Minister reacted to the Opposition’s allegation of “calling the government’s accomplishments as the Prime Minister’s”.
The Prime Minister said, “The first issue is whether we are proud of India’s achievements or not, and whether should we do it or not. I don’t understand why they have a problem in feeling proud of the accomplishment. They say why does Modi take credit? Instead of feeling proud, they want to take credit for it.”
“When Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government was in power, we detonated the nuclear bombs in 1998. The Opposition said the scientists had done it. Thirteen days later, India detonated another bomb despite facing sanctions, there was the political will to do it,” he said.
“When Chandrayaan-2 failed in 2019, there was strength in the political leadership to take responsibility for the failure by standing next to the scientists. I could’ve run away, but I didn’t do it and stayed there to motivate them. I take ownership,” the Prime Minister said.
