BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s recent interaction with school students in Himachal Pradesh’s Una district on National Space Day has sparked controversy, not just for what was said, but for what it revealed about the state of education and the responsibility of public representatives. When Thakur asked students, “Who was the first man to travel to space?”, the children confidently answered, “Neil Armstrong.” Instead of correcting them with the factual answer — Yuri Gagarin, the Soviet cosmonaut who orbited the Earth in 1961 — Thakur replied, “I think it was Hanumanji,” thereby mixing mythology with science in an educational setting.
The children’s response itself reflected a worrying gap in basic scientific awareness, confusing Armstrong’s Moon landing in 1969 with the first space journey. The MP’s reply compounded the error by introducing mythology as history without clarifying the difference. This “double rot” — students not knowing the correct fact, and a leader reinforcing inaccuracy — points to systemic issues in how scientific knowledge is imparted and respected.
Article 51A(h) of the Indian Constitution specifically mandates the development of scientific temper, humanism, and the spirit of inquiry. Instead, the episode highlighted how mythology and culture are sometimes presented in ways that blur fact and faith. Thakur’s intention may have been to inspire students to look beyond colonial narratives and take pride in India’s traditions, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for decolonisation under the “Paanch-Pran.” But decolonisation cannot mean replacing verified history with mythological tales, however revered.
Thakur elaborated that Hanuman’s leap across the ocean showed India’s “thousands of years old” knowledge and urged students to think beyond textbooks. While encouraging independent thinking is valuable, the failure to correct a factual error during a science-related interaction undermines the credibility of such lessons. In a country where public education standards remain uneven, even small distortions in knowledge at the classroom level can have large consequences.
The distinction between mythology and history is essential. Epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata hold immense cultural and religious value, and mythology can acquire historical weight when supported by archaeological or material evidence, as seen in debates around Dwarka or Troy. But absent such evidence, these remain narratives of faith, not verifiable history. Teaching mythology as mythology preserves its cultural richness while ensuring students develop the capacity to separate fact from fiction — a cornerstone of education.
The controversy also took a humorous turn online, with one user “fact-checking” Thakur by claiming that if mythology were the measure, Hiranyaksha — the demon who hid the Earth — was technically the first “space traveller.” While made partly in jest, such exchanges highlight how casually mythological claims can spiral into contested interpretations, none of which replace Yuri Gagarin’s place in recorded history.
Ultimately, this incident underscores the urgent need to improve science education and critical thinking in schools. It also highlights the responsibility of elected leaders to set the right example. Pride in India’s cultural heritage must go hand in hand with respect for scientific facts. If that balance is lost, students risk growing up unable to differentiate between knowledge rooted in evidence and narratives rooted in belief — a dangerous outcome for any democracy striving to nurture informed, rational citizens.
