Today, on 5th May 2017, India launched a communications satellite for its smaller neighbors to share, part of its efforts to build goodwill in the region, but arch-rival Pakistan said it will stay away from the project. This satellite will be established to strengthen ties with neighbors such as Sri Lanka, Nepal and even Pakistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the satellite a gift to south Asia. Narendra Modi said that it was a journey to build the most advanced frontier in our partnership, and also mentioned that “Our coming together is a sign of our unshakeable resolve to place the needs of our peoples in the forefront.”
The 2.2ton South Asian satellite which weighs as much as four full grown elephants – will provide telecom links between India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Pakistan has opted out of the project. So far Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have signed up to make use of the satellite, but Pakistan did not join and said that they are working on its own satellite.
This Satellite will offer participating countries(obviously South Asian) television services and communications technology for e-governance, bank ATMs, and may even serve as a backup for cellular networks. This will be useful especially in places where the terrestrial connectivity is weak. India is trying to compete and to push back against China’s expanding involvement in infrastructure building across south Asia. The competition is through offering financial and technical aid of their own.
Prime Minister Modi said the leaders of the participating countries had joined him in a video conference. Ties with Pakistan remain difficult, with the Indian government this week accusing Pakistan of killing and then mutilating the bodies of 2 soldiers on patrol on the disputed Kashmir border, provoking calls for retribution.
Heads of all those states thanked India via speeches on video conference. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said, South Asia has moved from merely talking about regional integration to actually doing it. Bhutan has also thanked India. Tshering Tobgay called it a generous gift by India and it is an example of true friendship. He also mentioned,”Satellite-based communications have now become the norm all over the world. This will be very beneficial for countries like Bhutan or Nepal which cannot afford their own”.
About fifty best space engineers and scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) monitored the launch of the satellite, which will help the countries in many ways, which will communicate better during disasters and will help establish a hotline between them. It will also help in the education system.
“When it comes to cooperation among like-minded countries, the sky is not the limit,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after the launch.
