Grit, Rocket Science & God: Nirbhay’s Day Out

35 thoughts on “Grit, Rocket Science & God: Nirbhay’s Day Out”

  1. Bit annoyed at the prayer at a scientific endeavour. Common consensus would be – "what's the harm?". But the scietists should leave their religion at home – they're being paid by a secular state, and the launch is a secular occasion.

    1. Yup agree …. whatever happened to scientific temperament desired in the Constitution !! The scientists themselves are seen lacking in it.

  2. The peoples are working there are also human and prayers just lifted their confidence. I am a not believer talking here.

  3. it should not be about hindus but indians.

    either no religious ceremonies
    or,
    short ceremonies for hindu, buddhist, jain, sikh religions – all indian tradition – not just hindus.

    btw, how hard would it be to raise the standard of the ceremony? could they not be sitted at a nice elevated podium, with the priest wearing a nice clean, proper dhoti, and the like?

    1. I don't mind a buddhist or jain or sikh ceremony. BUT I will seriously mind a muslim or christian ceremony. these religions are not Indian. anything Indian is fine with me.

  4. Believe it or not this is a Hindu majority country and people since long who have thrived in this part of the world were basically Hindus and many religions were born as branches of hinduism. Prayers are a way of wishing well for the mission. So stop your rants about secular, non secular here. At least they have stuck to our culture. Scientists better know that there is something beyond what humans can control and a prayer to that "something/someone" to help out is welcome. Even today when people buy a scooty or an Audi, they do a prayer for the good running… So my dear Hypocrites out there , you should shut up and shit somewhere else

  5. Shiv, I honestly advice you to delete the photos with the pandit. They don't seem to serve any purpose except provide a ruse for some Indians to feel ashamed of. The scientists should be given a reprimand for such rituals in front of a goddamn MISSILE !

    I think they should just pray to God to ensure that they build the missile properly instead of praying that the missile doesn't burst and crash.

    Goddammit. Please delete them Shiv.

    1. we are proud of our culture, our religion and our country. I don't see anything wrong in praying before an important event. Please don't display naked 'secularism' everywhere

  6. Sarath Kumar, please keep your inferiority complex at home along with your "Secular" friends.
    Those scientists have every right to pray for the success of their mission as does the Indian Army at Ayudh Pooja for their weapons. Deracinated twits like you will never appreciate or understand the depth of passion and pride one's own culture evokes and the effort folks go to respect it. If you can't respect it, then best keep quiet. You are not worthy of being a scientist or contributing to the nation, so at least keep your mouth shut.

  7. Cactus are your convert Christian or Muslim? I'm a Sikh I have no issues with pictures. Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism are Indian religion and are welcomed. Everything else is foreign.

  8. Sarath kumar, Its people like you who are a disgrace to country. People like you are ashamed of your own culture but the same things when preached or done by Germans or Americans or ur English masters, you admire them, praise them. When ur elders said do yoga. People like you said its crap, then years later learn it from the Americans who got it from here. Same goes for Sanskrit or teachings of gita. The level of servility and ignorance is just appalling.

    1. Sir ji you don't get anything with outbursts. Im not asking for us to forget our culture or religion, I'm saying there is a time and place for everything, and this is not it.

      As of my "foreign masters", you don't see any American, french or German conducting rituals with church priests before launching missiles, do you? This is foolish and totally idiotic, a totally wrong understanding of God and religion.

      God has given us a brain and a body to work and solve our problems, overcome our challenges etc.

      I know this is not the time and place to tell you that it's foolish and regressive to do puja to every nut, bolt and circuit, that this is nothing but the way of some fools to use one's fear of God to make them stupid and unproductive as possible in a practical sense.

      Prayer, religion and God is a personal thing and should be done in one's home or in a place of prayer like a temple.

      Look at some Islamic countries, their craze of religion has made most Muslim countries nothing but failed states and war zones.

      The day any country of the world moves forward is the day they realize that God and religion is one's personal affair, and that a human's challenges are to be overcome by a human.

      Pray for the safety of your loved ones living somewhere else, pray to God to help you with something out of your control.

      But let's not sit around offering prayers and Prasad to every rocket, missile, tank, pistol, bullet, car, scooter and rickshaw we buy or build. It is foolish and regressive to say the very least.

  9. Most of the commentator forget that Hinduism as a religion has nothing against other religions such as Islam or Christianity etc. Hinduism does not ridicule other religions where as other religions ridicule Hinduism. Following Hindu rituals means secularism. Constitution which is being quoted here does not deny or refuse individuals from religion. Constitution merely says it would not favour one religion. That does not mean that if a religious activity is undertaken officially it would include all religion. After all why does the constitution and laws allow and accept you to swear in the name of God ??

    Since the community or majority of scientists are Hindus, there is nothing wrong for them to pray for the success of their project and try and strengthen their resolve towards that. Both the objective are human, secular and official.

    It is not only the scientists who are part of the project. There are others too who are a team and a community which has to be bound together to be successful. These rituals do help in team development, team morale, their motivation and team spirit
    – there is nothing wrong in leadership or Management undertaking such activities. After all going together for a picnic, partying together or dancing together – activities undertaken for team development- are not mandated by the constitution nor can those so called team development methods can be termed as fully and purely secular.

    Pay attention to the grain and not the chaff. Congratulate DRDO as an exception.

  10. Sarath, Try looking for russian submarine launch pictures on google, u will see russian orthodox priests with their paraphernalia blessing the new systems.
    Same is the condition with Greek/ Norwegian and if my memory serves me right, i even remember seeing a christian priest in one of their ship/submarine launch.

  11. So what's everybody's problem if there is a Hindu priest there? We a Hindu majority nation. Up with your secular barbs! Why is it such a big issue if Hindus want to embrace their culture openly?

  12. Thanks for the pictures Shiv. I wish there were more of better quality though. Any information about the new truck ? What happened to Tata and Tatra ?

    Anyhow for people whining about pooja ceremony, as an atheist I can say that they should shut up and mind their own business. Just during last 12-15 days, I have seen pictures of Russians, Israelis and a couple of more nationalities doing the same ceremonies during their own projects. As long as the work is not being interrupted by the pooja ceremony, nobody should have any reason to complain. Also it's not like they are asking everyone to join or discriminating against people who don't wish to join.

    Even the whites whom these complainers want to emulate aren't as militantly secular.

  13. This is the most ridiculous thing to do. Feels like our scientists and engineers are dependent on the mercy of gods for the success of this mission. It reminds me of the time when is used to bribe gods just before the exams. the prayers goes like this "Oh god I have studies only this much of that particular chapter and my parents and teachers are having great hopes from me. so please make sure that the questions are from those portions which i know". I hope our scientists also pray to god that the missile is not that great as it claims to be. so please make sure that all the systems work well and it reaches its target.

  14. Hindunism is not just a religion but it's a part of our culture ..why people felling ashamed of that …we should not forget our root.

  15. Anonymous @ 8:08, you'll know how good the missile is, when it strikes one of your terror camps and sends your chinese equipped friends to pieces.
    Dont worry about Indians and their faith.

    Sarath Kumar, keep your inferiority complex about India and Hinduism to yourself.

  16. @ Anon 2:42 AM
    Hi I am a Christian I did not like your comment I visit the site because I Love my nation if you and others are discriminant on basis of religion then………

  17. Just like the Tomahawk missile was used by the US to destroy terrorist camps, Nirbhay should be used to clear our neighborhood of the terrorist swine.

    With Modi, it is possible that India will strike fear in terrorist camps with Nirbhay.

  18. The practice is inherently discriminatory, by clearly serving a single religion. Either have services for all the major religions – or none at all. We are not a Hindu Country – this isn't a Hindu Missile – like how Pakistan and Iran call theirs Islamic missiles. We are better than them, and less petty (or should be).

    The scientists are welcome to offer prayers at home, in private, as well, according to their own religion. If they truly believe – that should be enough to "boost their confidence". No need to do it on the launch site, at all!

  19. The practice is inherently discriminatory, by clearly serving a single religion. Either have services for all the major religions – or none at all. We are not a Hindu Country – this isn't a Hindu Missile – like how Pakistan and Iran call theirs Islamic missiles. We are better than them, and less petty (or should be).

    The scientists are welcome to offer prayers at home, in private, as well, according to their own religion. If they truly believe – that should be enough to "boost their confidence". No need to do it on the launch site, at all!

  20. You definitely don't see the Americans holding prayer meetings before launches, or the EU Space Agency either. They are very proud of their heritage – so proud, that they have no need to make a big show of religion, in technological matters.

    WE are insecure, and have to continuously bring religion into the public sphere of technology, where confidence should be from your work, not divine providence. This Puja in front of a missile isn't a sign of strength – it's weakness.

  21. Hahahaha… no comment abt missile n test… all about the prayer ritual… if we get this excited about religion debate then obv we are believers. No harm offering prayers then.

    Also, this is not a public place but a test site. The scientists can do whatever they want to as typically they only have access.

  22. I am David Benjamin and for me Country is first and always. I request other Christian friends to not be offended by the comments of some of our Hindu brothers here.

    It is the fabric of unity that makes INDIA strong. It is not the religion or gods which make India.
    India is NOT religious country like pakistan.

    Even though I have a certiain dislike for Muslims as they are not raising they voice against terrorists who use religion as cover, we should remember that WE are Indians and we are strong because people like Abdul Kalam thought that he was INDIAN before Muslim.

    Jai Hind.

  23. Yeah…I am sure prayers were conducted even before other DRDO weapon testing happened. Some succeeded and some didn't. Looks like nature doesn't care for religious rituals!

    Time for DRDO to grow up and get over with any religion. Even weopon names have religious link!!. No science. Most funny of all, Sudarshan for LGB…LMAO. Learn from ISRO on this, atleast their rockets don't sound religious. Even though their director went to the temple for MOM success, it was in his personal capacity. Within ISRO complex, nothing religious happened (atleast as far as i know). IF it happened, it has to stop. No religion should ever be entertained within any scientific institute. Period!

  24. @cactus lily where is it said that scientists cannot pray to God and how doing puja one ceases to be a secular person. A secular person is not a non believer in God an absurd and silly comment and has disgraced The OP Cactus Lily = 1971 indo pak war by adopting that identity 1971 war was a show case how Indians had been fighting but were disillusioned by british historians

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