Dear ISRO Chief, As a Kashmiri I Know How Losing Connection Feels

Dear Dr K Sivan,

I would first like to congratulate you and your team on the big achievement. You worked really hard to make Chandrayaan-2 a success but unfortunately, Chandrayaan-2’s lander, Vikram, lost contact with the ground control minutes before it was to land near the south pole of the moon.

I know you wanted to make your nation proud! Who doesn’t? I also know how painful and disheartening it is to lose communication when you are so close. I completely understand. I too, lost communication with my Moon – my mother, a month ago. My mother lives in Budgam in Jammu and Kashmir, and I haven’t spoken to her in weeks.

You are a great scientist and you know how to handle everything, but you still broke down before the prime minster. It hurts when you lose connection, when you cannot communicate with someone (or something) close to you.

Sir, I must confess, you are very lucky that the prime minster hugged and consoled you and assured you that everything would be fine. But look at me, how unlucky I turned out to be! It’s been more than a month since I lost all communication with my family, yet no one came to console or comfort me.

My honourable prime minster did not say a single world to people like me, who have been disconnected with their families. Sir, you and I are, somewhat, sailing in the same boat.

You had said you were trying to establish communication with the lander Vikram and I have been trying very hard to establish connection with my parents for a month.

I feel, right now, the chances of you getting connected to the lander are more than me getting connected to my family. Sir, you know what hurts the most? When your own countrymen don't sympathise with or comfort you.

Sir, I would say again that you turned out to be very lucky when you said you’ve lost connection with the lander, Vikram, social media was flooded with encouragement and support. And here I am, sitting all alone, writing this letter to you...

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