Former Union Minister and BJP MP Anurag Thakur has stirred controversy after claiming at a school event in Una that Lord Hanuman, not Yuri Gagarin or Neil Armstrong, was the first to travel to space.
Speaking at a PM Shri School on the occasion of National Space Day, Thakur interacted with students and asked who the first person to go into space was. When the children replied “Neil Armstrong,” Thakur corrected them, saying, “No, it was Hanuman,” referring to the Hindu epic Ramayana, where Hanuman leaps across the ocean to Lanka.
The remark has triggered debate about the place of mythology in education and the responsibility of public figures in shaping young minds. Critics argue that such statements blur the line between science and cultural narratives, undermining India’s constitutional mandate under Article 51A, which calls for the development of scientific temper and humanism.
Social media was quick to react. Many warned that prioritizing myth over historical and scientific facts risks distorting children’s understanding of science.
Adding to the criticism, commentators highlighted the irony that while leaders’ children often pursue education abroad in institutions rooted in scientific rigor, such narratives are being promoted in Indian classrooms. This, they argued, raises questions about the intellectual path being set for India’s future generations.
