I had commented in an earlier post on APJ Abdul Kalam’s desire to explore Mars, aghast that someone would propose such a terrible use of taxpayers’ money in a country where millions don’t have access to drinking water. (If Mr Kalam went himself, of course, that would justify it somewhat.) Well, this ToI report gives us a better understanding of why Mr Kalam wishes to spend your maid’s taxes on space exploration:
Addressing a packed lecture hall at the International Space University (ISU) Tuesday evening at the edge of this northeastern French city, famous for being the seat of the European Parliament, Kalam told the students drawn from around the world that space has no borders: “When we explore space, (it) can act as a motivator for national collaboration between nations.”
Space is a “platform for sharing ideas and technologies and to work towards a sustainable world with peace and prosperity,” said Kalam.
Hmmm. So let’s spend hundreds of crores of rupees so that we can collaborate well with other nations, an aim that can obviously not be achieved by any other means. Joy.
(Here are some earlier posts on Kalam. And look, if Kalam is our prototype for president, let’s please make Sanjaya Malakar our next head of state. At least he’s got the hair.)