The Moon— the eternal “Chand Mama” for all kids. And I was no exception. It was always a mystery to me, as to how and when will Chand Mama come and play with us. The day never came. But, we Indians have sought out means and modes to travel the Space and reach Uncle moon ourselves.

What a glorious day for our country, when Chandrayaan-2 flew off successfully to land on the Southern Hemisphere of the Moon. India achieved this recognition first time in November 2008 and is the fourth country to touch the Moon. This is the second time that ISRO launched the lunar probe mission.

As a child, I grew up amidst lots of greenery in Chinsurah of Hooghly district. And the Bengali song “Baash baganer mathar opor Chand utheche oei” have always captivated me. The shining moon from inside my window, silhouetting the tree leaves left me with imaginations beyond the sky.

Today with the successful launch of the Lunar Probe Mission, it is as if the little boy found his long lost Kajla Didi. As if, that little is boy is no one but the senior scientist of ISRO, Chandrakanta Kumar. He is the Deputy Project Director, who is responsible for the RF System of Chandrayaan 2.

As the Chandrayaan 2 reached Earth’s orbit, ISRO Chairman, K Sivan proudly declared that, “it is the beginning of a historical journey for India”. He also added that this mission has been the “most complex mission” undertaken by ISRO till now.

Truly designated as the “moon child”, senior scientist Chandrakanta Kumar’s root is also from Hooghly district of Bengal. After reading about this extraordinary man, I connected with him at once. The son of a farmer, Chandrakanta Kumar is an inspiration to all those who think and dream big. Like A P J Abdul Kalam, another stalwart of ISRO and the “Missile Man” of our country, the name of the Moon Child will also be engraved in the pages of history.

Currently in London, how I wish I could have been standing at my homeland on this special day and cheer for my country. Nevertheless, I am a proud Indian by every means. And I congratulate ISRO and the ever-toiling brilliant minds there.

PIC Courtesy: ISRO Twitter page