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A story of me, a bishop and a village from kerala.

The year 2006. The boy is getting ready for school, and his mom helping him gather his things and pack his food. Sitting in the corner trying to put on his shoes, eyes on the television watching DD National live. His mother was shouting at him as he was getting late for school but the boy was not ready to move from his place, and count down started T minus 10, 9 ……3 2 1 0 and the rocket sores towards the sky after few seconds roar of success heard from the control station. The launch was successful from ISRO. Now the boy carrying a big smile on his face rushed towards the school. From my schooling to my graduation, I was and is always enthusiastic when it comes to Indian space achievements, yes that boy was me. Now I'm here to share how it all started from a village, A fascinating story of the Indian rocket era.
It was 1963, and already the biggest economies of the world started their race into space. Even planning to land people on the moon. But India was yet taking small steps towards space, and many people might not know this but in the space race our neighbor Pakistan was ahead of us at that time, they launched their first rocket called Rehbar ( meaning the guiding or leader in Urdu) in 1962. A year before us but we soared into the sky in the coming years, and now we are one of the members of the elite club of developed countries in space technology. It was Dr. Vikram Sarabhai who had a great vision for India, he had the task to launch our first rocket, and the venue for this was decided, a small fishing village in Kerala called Thumba. The challenge in front of the government and scientists was that they need to vacate the whole village and church which had significant importance in localities, though the government had the power to move them forcefully, Sarabia took a peaceful way, he came to the bishop of the church and put the proposal, to which bishop agreed and the very next morning he called all people to church for prayers and he said and I quote “My children, I have a famous scientist with me who wants our church and the place we live for the work of space science research, dear children science seeks the truth that enriches human life higher level of religion is spirituality, the spiritual creatures like me seek the help of almighty, to bring peace to human life, In short, what Vikram is doing and I am doing is same. Both science and spirituality seek almighty blessings for human prosperity of mind and body, Vikram promises within 6 months everything will be newly built and given to us. Children can we give them god’s aboard, my and you're aboard for a scientific mission?" Silence occupied the church for a few seconds then a loud amen was heard. And the rocket got launched from the beach.
The rocket puncturing the twilight sky wrote history and became a stepping stone for Indian space research.

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