40th Year of Rakesh Sharma's Tryst with Space and his Enduring Words “Saare Jahan Se Achha”

 

This post is courtesy of my fellow Ajeet – An alumnus of Sainik School Bijapur – Ranga, who has been working tirelessly to populate the Ajeet Knowledge Forum (AKF) YouTube Channel with all the videos of the distinguished speakers who were hosted by AKF over the past two and half years. One of our distinguished speakers was Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who delivered an inspirational lecture on his tryst with space destiny and motivated young Ajeet and cadet Ajeets, from Sainik School Bijapur who had joined this online lecture.

 Today, April 3, 2024, marks the fortieth anniversary of that historic and pivotal moment in Indian history when Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma - then Squadron Leader - embarked on a journey that transcended the bounds of Earth's atmosphere, and created history. He became the first Indian astronaut to venture into space when he flew aboard the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11 launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic on 3 April 1984

 As Rakesh Sharma soared into the cosmos, he carried with him the aspirations and dreams of a nation that had begun to appreciate the vision of the father of the Indian Space program, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, of harvesting the benefits of space applications for human benefits, as exemplified by the three stellar projects Satellite Instruction Television Experiment (SITE), developing an Indian Satellite (Aryabhata) and also launching an indigenous space launch vehicle (SLV). Rakesh Sharma’s mission was not merely a scientific endeavor but a testament to human ingenuity and the unyielding spirit of exploration. Amidst the vastness of space, he encountered a moment that would resonate with generations to come – a moment when he was asked by then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, "How does India look from space?"

In response, Sharma uttered words that would reverberate across the nation: "Sare Jaha Se Achha". These words continue to encapsulate the feelings of 1.4 billion people even today. These words became an anthem of pride, echoing through the hearts of millions and inspiring a sense of unity and patriotism.

The alumni of our prestigious Sainik School Bijapur, Ajeets Alumni Association (AAA), had the privilege of hearing firsthand accounts of his journey and experiences in space. It was on 9 April 2022; Rakesh Sharma's enduring legacy was commemorated in a monumental event which was hosted by AKF under the auspices of the AAA.

His lecture transcended the boundaries of time and space, transporting the audience into the awe-inspiring realm of the cosmos. He imparted invaluable insights into the human spirit and the quest for knowledge. His words resonated with the audience, igniting a spark of curiosity and ambition in the hearts of Ajeets and cadet Ajeets.

Here is a link to his talk on the AKF YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY7tfSnvL70&t=793s

The AKF - true to the culture and traditions of our alma mater SSBJ - follows a protocol while hosting lectures of distinguished speakers under the auspices of the AKF platform and that includes a six to seven-minute introduction of the speaker by one of the Ajeets. Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma was introduced by one of our senior Ajeets, General Arjun Muthanna. I had the honour to prepare the introduction of the speaker and I am happy to share this on my blog as we celebrate the fortieth year of Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s Space Odyssey.  

Introduction to Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma for the AKF Meet held on 9^th April 2022.

Space has always been fantasised about and romanticised by humankind. There are very few people who have had the pleasure and privilege to have fulfilled their fantasy of going to space. We the Ajeets are so very lucky that today’s speaker - Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma- is the one and only person from India to have achieved this distinction. Having walked the very precincts of the institute, from where Rakesh Sharma ji passed out – National Defence Academy Pune – on behalf of the AAA and AKF, it is a great honour for me to introduce Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma and I am so very humbled to be doing this honour.

Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma is a name that no Indian will ever forget. His iconic “Saare Jahah Se Accha” reply to the question that Mrs Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, asked, “Bharat Asman Se Kaisa Dikhta Hai? (how India looked from outer space) is something which resonates with all Indians. For all Indians, his words have remained as profound as the words of Neil Armstrong –  “One small step for man and a giant leap for mankind”.  Rakesh Sharma continues to be the first and the only Indian to date and the 138th person to travel in space. He spent eight days in the Salyut 7 space station beginning on 3 April 1984 and his feat made India the 14th nation to send a man to outer space.

Rakesh Sharma ji is the recipient of the prestigious Ashoka Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award, awarded by the Indian Government. His other coveted awards include the Hero of the Soviet Union and The Order of Lenin by the erstwhile Soviet Government.

Born on 13 January 1949 in Patiala Punjab - on the auspicious Lohri (Sankranti) Day festival, the boy Rakesh Sharma was destined for an extraordinary achievement later in his life. He remains the only Indian citizen to have travelled into space to date. (There have been other Indian-origin astronauts, but they were not bonafide Indian citizens at the time of space travel). Rakesh Sharma completed his schooling in Hyderabad at St. George's Grammar School and graduated from Nizam College, Hyderabad. He then joined the prestigious National Defence Academy as an Air Force plebe in July 1966 and was commissioned into the Indian Air Force as a pilot in 1970.

Indian tryst with space had begun in the late sixties with the dreams of Vikram Sarabhai and Prof Satish Dhawan. By the 1980s, the Indian Space Research Organisation was on a development curve so impressive that on certain space missions, the Russian Space Agency collaborated with ISRO. In one such collaboration – space mission - Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma was selected for a space voyage, on 20 September 1982, to become a cosmonaut and go into space as part of a joint programme between the Indian Air Force and the Soviet Interkosmos space programme on the Soyuz T-11 with Russian cosmonauts. That meant the standby Indian Astronaut Wing Commander Ravish Malhotra had to stay back.

Sharma left for Russia to complete a gruelling training under the Russian scientists' watch. Unfortunately, when he was undergoing his training, tragedy struck his family but then like that quintessential brave Indian soldier that he was, he continued on the mission entrusted to him, and on 3 April 1984, he was launched into space as on schedule thus becoming the first Indian to go to space.

The Soyuz T-11 spacecraft carrying cosmonauts including Sharma docked and transferred the three-member Soviet-Indian international crew, consisting of the ship's commander, Yury Malyshev, and flight engineer, Gennadi Strekalov, to the Salyut 7 Orbital Station. Sharma spent 7 days, 21 hours, and 40 minutes aboard the Salyut 7 during which his team conducted scientific and technical studies which included forty-three experimental sessions. Interestingly Rakesh Sharma had the privilege to savour Indian delicacies in space courtesy of the Defence Food Research Laboratory in Mysore. It had packed Indian delicacies viz. suji halwa, alu choley , and vegetable pulao for Sharma, which he gladly shared with Malyshev and Strekalov in outer space. Yoga which has now gained international fame is what Rakesh Sharma practised for 10 minutes every day while in space and advised other astronauts to do the same to avert space sickness.

Rakesh Sharma flew 21 Operational Missions on a Mig-21 aircraft during the Indo-Pak War in 1971. He was selected for the Production Test Pilots Course in 1975 and later, in 1979 for the Experimental Test Pilots Course at the Test Pilot’s School of the Indian Air Force’s Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment, Bangalore.

He served as an Air Force Test Pilot for 15 years before being seconded to the Industry, in 1987. It was during this period that he was selected for the Joint Indo-Soviet Space Mission.

Rakesh Sharma returned to his test flying career after the space flight and served as the Chief Project Pilot of India’s Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’ and, as Chief Test Pilot of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL). During this period, his skills were extensively utilized by HAL on its indigenous Intermediate Jet Trainer Project. Out of a flying career spanning 33 years, he spent 24 years testing aircraft and systems. During this period, he flew 4000 hrs on all front-line fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force, apart from the NT-33, NF-16, and the F-18. Retired from test flying in July 2001.

Post his retirement he joined the IT Industry in 2001 as the Chief Operating Officer of a Business Process Management IT company. Later, he headed the Indian Aerospace and Defence business unit of Parametric Technology Corporation, USA, till his retirement from active service in 2009.

Post-retirement, he was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Candela Labs, an IT company located in Bangalore till he decided to step down in 2019. 

He now lives in Coonoor in Tamil Nadu and is a non-executive chairman of Bangalore (Bengaluru) Based Cadila Lab.

Incidentally, yours truly had the honour to host Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma as one of the distinguished guests while commemorating the 60^th year of human space flight in April 2021. It was on 12^th April 1961 that Yuri Gagarin became the first Cosmonaut in Space. To commemorate this historic occasion, the Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai tied up with the Russian Centre for Science and Culture to organise a mega event involving Cosmonauts from Russia and Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma. This event was organised on 9 April 2021, online.