Chins up! Why Modi-Obama meet is perfectly-timed?

New Delhi, Sept 24: "Modi reaches US on 25th"; well, that is not a statement anymore, but an announcement. Now that the newly-appointed Prime Minister of India-

-has his pockets full with congratulatory messages for the

feat, we can gladly say that India is one of the elitist club of countries that have reached Mars.

ISRO beats NASA?

Today, the 24th of September could be a chapter in Indian history that speaks of Indian power of 'Shunya' and the science of space. With the mission's success, India has become a part of the elite club of countries-US, USSR and European Space Agency who have explored Mars, and probably the first to be successful in first attempt. This means, it beats NASA too!

US President Barack Obama will have a reason to congratulate the Indian PM, the same person who was criticized by the White House for his 'partake' in Gujarat riots. Surely, the United Nations and the top 500 CEOs that he would address in USA will have something to learn from him.

With a rare private dinner in the pipeline, probably the first any Prime Minister would have received in the US, there is more reason to celebrate.

Does US need to worry?

While this cannot be ascertained, but surely India has won the Asian Space Race after China, when the US and Russia were the lone champions of the 'Space Race'. India now has its own PSLV satellite in Mars, space launch vehicles, has launched several satellites, sent its Chandrayaan-1 probe to the moon in October 2008 and launched its Mars Orbiter Mission on November 5, 2013.

In other words, it is fast catching up with the technology that only US and Russia had access to. India will now get exclusive updates from its own satellite, regarding the atmosphere and climate in Mars, which would help us to understand the long-term effects of atmospheric depletion on Earth. Of course, that would be an independent research.

Protests in US may take a set-back with Modi's new ISRO avatar

Do we hear protests anymore? Yesterday, there were reports flooding the newsroom with protest marches against Narendra Modi's visit in the US. We all know about the visa hurdles he has had and why he has had so (Thanks to the Gujarat riots!), but the 'tainted' leader, in a faint hint to the world, somehow spoke of his own challenges as a PM, just like the team of scientists who made 'Mangalyaan' amid limitations.

Mentioning a few lines from his poetry, he said: "If you fail, you are criticized, if you succeed, you are envied"

But if that is a mention of his own journey as the Prime Minister, overcoming the 'failures' in the Gujarat riots, is something that can be left to speculation.

Modi's leadership attained a whole new avatar after ISRO's success story as the first Asian to be in Mars and as the first country to be successful in the first attempt. But Modi's speech after the launch may have mummed a few murmurs.

He said,"We have to take risks because without risks, we cannot know what we are not exploring. This mission was full of uncertainties, but had it ben a failure, it was my responsibility and I wanted to be here with the scientists to support them."

If that is not owning up to one's successes and failures, then what is?