Chandrayaan-3 is the reason why South African President Cyril Ramaphosa wanted to sit next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the BRICS Summit in that country last week.
The Moon mission, Chandrayaan-3, which cost Rs 75 million, has received praise from space agencies and governments worldwide.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar mentioned that it also garnered positive reactions from BRICS leaders during events in Johannesburg.
After the successful landing, the South African President, who considered it a triumph for his country as well, expressed his desire to be seated next to Prime Minister Modi so that Chandrayaan’s positive energy could influence him.
On 23 August, when the landing took place, the Prime Minister left the session to join ISRO via a video link.
By the second day, even within the BRICS summit, conversations had shifted to focus on Chandrayaan, as stated by Jaishankar.
Jaishankar narrated “I was in a room (attending a BRICS event as Vikram was landing)… with a big screen in the corner. It was difficult to talk without getting distracted,” the minister said, “At some stage President Ramaphosa said, Foreign Minister, you are looking like Chandrayaan is up there (pointing to the screen).”
He further said “I think, by then, it had seeped into peoples’ imagination and, that evening, I must tell you, we were at a BRICS Plus event – so you had about 50 other countries’ prime ministers and presidents – and the speech which President Ramaphosa gave on Chandrayaan was like a collective feeling…”
The EAM added “In fact, he said, ‘I’m going to sit next to PM Modi and I hope some of it rubs off on me…”
The remarks of the South African President reflect the respect and admiration for PM Modi among his peers.
During the BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Modi expressed his delight at the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3, stating that it is a remarkable achievement for mankind as a whole.