 |
| ISRO Chief K Radhakrishnan |
By Anantha Krishnan M
Express News Service
Bangalore: It's official! Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) Chairman K Radhakrishnan has broken his maun vrat. On Tuesday, he spoke
to Express in his first silence-breaking mission, despite being battered by
hostile media and bombed by his fuming former colleague Madhavan Nair. “Mission
matters and my mind is now focused on ISRO's future programmes,” Radhakrishnan
said.
While the road to this man-hunt-interview itself qualifies
for another story, Radhakrishnan was at ease and presented a perfect picture of
a man who came out of a cajoling breeze and not one hit by a hurricane. ”I am
worried about ISRO and nothing-else. I have a couple of major missions lined-up
this year and they are close to my heart. They include: The launch of PSLV-C19
(21st launch of PSLV), Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1) carrying a C-band
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload, indigenous Cryogenic upper stage and
GSLV Mk II , GSLV-MK-III and Indian Regional Navigation Satellite Systems
(IRNSS) constellation consisting of seven satellites,” Radhakrishnan said,
resembling a schoolteacher wanting his 'pupil' to be all attention.
When Express made a valiant bid to make him react on the
D-Company (not Dawood, but Devas), the man in the middle of 2012's maiden
Indian controversy, said: “The truth is there. I am unfazed. ISRO is an
efficient organisation. Our fabric is unique. There's an 'ISRO culture' and
there's a vision which is shared among all. There's lot of openness in the
system.” He reminded this Correspondent to put ISRO culture in quotes.
When asked whether he is hurt by the comments of Madhavan
Nair and what the media is reporting round-the-clock, the ISRO chief said he
hasn't seen any reports. “I don't want to be dragged into any controversy. ISRO
should move on and it will. When the cryo-engine failed in April 2010, I faced
it alone. When we had another failure in December 2010, you (media) saw I was
alone. While going in a ship you often come across rough weather, but your
journey is never stopped,” Radhakrishnan said and stood up, probably signaling
like a commander that “your time is up.”
A standing attempt by Express to get one more response on
the D-row, was met with a smile and two words, with pause. “Mission Matters.”
Nair checks-out of Bangalore: Moon Man Madahvan Nair took a Qatar Airways flight to
Salalah (Oman) from Bangalore International Airport on Tuesday, giving a break
to the scientific spitfire show, after he was unceremoniously banned by ISRO
from getting onboard any government missions. “I am off to Salalah for an
interaction with students of Indian Schools' Association. I also have an
interaction in Muscat,” Nair said.
To a query whether the government would reverse the ban.
“That's what we have demanded. Let's wait and see,” Nair said. Sources say that
a nation-wide movement 'Justice for Madhavan Nair' might hit social networks
soon, with a group of IT professionals working out the nitty-gritty. Karnataka
CM Sadananda Gowda's Office released the copy of a one-page letter he had sent
to former President A P J Abdul Kalam.
Copyright@The New Indian Express
