Indian Space Program Challenging Stereotypes!

Space exploration is a dream-like fascination a few superpowers have had the opportunity to accomplish so far. [Acroche] Recently, India has become one of them, successfully launching a vessel in outer space, mirroring its emergence in different technological domains. [Présentation du sujet] In the same pattern, the set of documents at our disposal gains insights into how such an achievement has challenged stereotypes. It is made up of two articles and one cartoon made by Satish Acharya. [Présentation du dossier de synthèse]

To what extent has India’s space program called into question stereotypes?

After explaining the mission entitled Chandrayaan-3 (A), I will delve into how it has redefined the perceptions of Indian stereotypes (B). Finally, I am to showcase that mindsets are harsh to change despite tangible improvements (C).

A. An all-out success.

Chandrayaan-3’s smooth landing on a remote southern part of the Moon is a groundbreaking achievement, making India the fourth nation to accomplish such a feat. This praiseworthy success is the outcome of intense brainstorming by the engineering team. They enhanced the previous vessel whose landing back in 2019 had been an utter failure. They came up with a cutting-edge prototype with a little budget amounting to $75 million, less than a Hollywood film production. It is worth pinpointing that it was cheerfully greeted “beyond Indian boundaries”. This occurrence was permeated in a sense of togetherness.

B. Debunking stereotypes inscribed in India’s DNA.

Chandrayaan-3 was carried out by a female-dominated engineering group, thus “shifting the narrative” concerning gender stereotypes. This successful mission highlighted that women are endowed with as much proficiency as men, making the gender gap more likely to be bridged. In the case of Chandrayaan-3, one-fourth of the engineers were female. At the end of the day, it must have been a source of self-empowerment, ultimately shattering the glass ceiling.

It can be said that Heng Kim Song’s racism-imbued cartoon drawn in 2014 conveys a prejudiced and spurious vision of the country. Indeed, Kim Song portrays an old-fashioned, almost archaic elite-run society, which is obviously untrue. All in all, India’s space program and unquenchable devotion to gain momentum on the international stage have helped debunk tropes the nation is still riddled with. It feels like it is high time mindsets were changed.

C. The change brought about so far cannot be taken for granted.

However, similarities can be observed between the two cartoons at hand, showing that mindsets have not fully changed. The cartoon drawn by Satish Acharya was published in August 2023, in the wake of the successful landing on the Moon. The snide pun “Holy Cow” is a derogatory phrase based on hackneyed preconceptions. The cartoon can be deemed as boorish, tarnishing India’s image, making full open-mindedness elusive so far.

In a nutshell, one can easily say that India’s space program has partially reshaped the stereotypical vision usually seen regarding this emerging nation. It has been a source of empowerment to express oneself, but bigotry remains a plague.