"Unity in diversity": Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla shares emotional message from space with PM
New Delhi: India witnessed a proud moment on Saturday as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, aboard the International Space Station (ISS), interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and spoke about his experience of seeing Earth from space.
Shukla said, "The thing that really stood out was when I saw India for the first time from space... India looks truly majestic and much larger than what we perceive on maps. The feeling of oneness that the Earth gives, the very essence of our motto 'Unity in Diversity', becomes deeply meaningful when seen from above. One realize that borders don’t really exist, states don’t exist, countries don’t exist in that view. Ultimately, we are all part of humanity, and Earth is our one shared home. We are all its citizens."
The Prime Minister had asked, "When you witnessed the vastness of space, what was the very first thought that came to your mind?" to which Shukla gave the above reply.
During the interaction, Shukla added, "Thank you, PM Modi, for your wishes and the wishes of 140 crore Indians. I am fine and safe here. I am feeling very good, this is a new experience... This journey is not only mine but the journey of the whole nation." He continued, "Under your leadership, today's India offers numerous opportunities to fulfil their dreams... I am feeling very proud to represent India here."
Prime Minister Modi responded, saying, "You are farthest from India but closest to Indians' hearts." He noted that the astronaut’s name has "Shubh" (auspicious) in it, and called this moment a "shubh-aarambh" (auspicious beginning) of a new era for the youth of India.
The Prime Minister also asked Shukla if he and the crew had enjoyed the 'gajar ka halwa' (carrot dessert) taken to space. Shukla replied that they did eat the dessert along with the other sweet dishes he carried with him.
Talking about his experience, Shukla said, "India looks grand and bigger from space than it does on the map." He also highlighted the importance of mindfulness. "We face many stressful situations, but mindfulness helps us to stay calm. If you stay calm, then you can take good decisions," he said.
In a message to the youth, Shukla said, "If you try and build your future properly, then the nation's future will also be good. And keep this one thing in your heart: 'Sky is never the limit', neither for you, nor me, nor for India."
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to travel to the ISS and the first Indian to cross the Karman line in over 41 years. The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, which includes Shukla as the pilot, successfully docked with the ISS on Thursday. The capsule completed soft docking at 16:02 IST and full docking at 16:16 IST.
The crew also includes mission commander Peggy Whitson, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The Dragon capsule launched a day earlier from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and followed a 28-hour mission profile to reach the ISS.
This historic moment brought back memories of the first space journey by an Indian 41 years ago. In 1984, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian in space as part of the Soviet Soyuz T-11 mission.
During that mission, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had asked Sharma how India looked from space. Sharma replied, "Saare jahan se acha Hindustan humara." The conversation was broadcast during a joint television news conference which included officials from Moscow.
'सारे जहाँ से अच्छा हिंदुस्तान हमारा’
— Congress (@INCIndia) April 3, 2019
Here is a clip of the historic conversation between former PM Indira Gandhi and astronaut Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to travel to space.#KnowYourLegacy #60yearsofCongress pic.twitter.com/16uz8i8hvB
PM @narendramodi interacted with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is aboard the International Space Station. pic.twitter.com/Q37HqvUwCd
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 28, 2025
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Confident we are going to win Kerala: Shashi Tharoor
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday expressed confidence in the victory of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, saying the Congress-led alliance will win more than 75 seats out of the total 140 in the state.
Tharoor, who hails from Kerala, said he was not surprised to see the results of the exit polls, most of which predicted a victory for the UDF that has been out of power for 10 years in the state.
"We have been on the ground. I have campaigned in 59 constituencies across 12 districts out of 14. I was very confident we are going to win.
"Everything that I have picked up from not just my party colleagues and workers but also from other observers, media and others have always convinced me that we were going to score a comfortable win of above 75 seats. And all the (exit) polls have confirmed the same thing," he told reporters here.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP said he was not surprised to see the results of the exit polls but in general he was not a big fan of exit polls in India.
"Because ours is not purely a homogenous society. We have to take into account gender issue, caste issue, class issue, regional disparities. You never get a convincingly large enough sample to give an accurate poll and now there is the additional complication that we have heard about in West Bengal this year that many people are unwilling to answer the questions of the pollsters," he said.
The Congress leader said normally, it used to be below 10 per cent that people said that they would not answer.
"Even if you are a reputable exit pollster, in Bengal, one polling company has said 60 per cent of people refused to answer. So, what is the worth of a poll where 60 per cent of your respondents have not answered," he said.
Several exit polls on Wednesday predicted a comeback by the Congress-led UDF in Kerala after 10 years, dethroning the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
Polling for the 140-member Kerala assembly was held on April 9. Results of assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Puducherry, besides Kerala, will be announced on May 4.
