In an era where interstellar achievements should ideally unite a nation in pride, some prefer to dwell in the confines of political rivalry. This Saturday was no exception.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's latest announcement on August 26, concerning the naming of India's moon-landing points, should have been a universally celebrated moment. Modi revealed that Chandrayaan-3's moon lander touchdown point will be christened ‘Shiv Shakti,’ while the Chandrayaan-2's spot will bear the name ‘Tiranga’. An amalgamation of revering ancient deities and national pride, one would say. However, politics, as usual, found its way to eclipse this celestial moment.

The Congress, in its characteristic manner, seized the opportunity to critique, casting shadows over what should have been a moment of shared national triumph. Senior leader Rashid Alvi, whose past commentary has stirred controversies like demanding evidence for the surgical strike against Pakistan and questioning the Ayodhya verdict's integrity, couldn't resist taking a dig at this decision.

In a statement that bordered on comedic irony, Alvi shared his profound thoughts on Modi's 'naamikaran' (naming) choice. "It is laughable. Who has given the right to PM Modiji to do the naamikaran of the surface of the moon?" Alvi remarked during an interview with India Today. "The entire world will laugh. We are not the owners of the moon,” he further added. The clip, incidentally, is the current sensation on X (once known as Twitter).

But Alvi didn't stop there. His audacious comparison of Nehru to Lord Shiva raised eyebrows and Twitterati reactions. Commenting on Modi's choice of the name "Shiv Shakti," which pays homage to revered Hindu deities, Alvi boldly asserted that Nehru's name couldn't be compared to "any other." The implication being? That Nehru might just hold a higher pedestal than even divine deities in Alvi's view.

In all this political shadow-boxing, one must wonder: are we losing the bigger picture? Instead of basking in the marvel of our nation's space achievements, we seem engrossed in terrestrial tiffs. The grand old party's critique, veering towards sarcasm, rather comically appears as an attempt to please political masters rather than focusing on national pride.

In the cosmos of these interplanetary achievements, one would hope that India's political stars align to celebrate our successes rather than belittling them for short-lived terrestrial gains.

In a recent revelation that would send anyone's eyebrows skyrocketing, Congress’ Rashid Alvi offered his two cents on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to christen the landing site of Chandrayaan-3 as the ‘Shiv Shakti’ point. Alvi found the renaming of the lunar surface laughably audacious, stating, “Who has given the right to PM Modiji to do the naamikaran of the surface of the moon?" as per his words to an India Today journalist. Seemingly, for Alvi, the BJP's bid for 'cosmic real estate' seems nothing more than a brash assertion of their power, masking it as national pride.

But wait, there’s more! A slight jog down memory lane shows the Congress, during its reign, also christened a lunar touchdown site after their beloved leader, Jawahar Lal Nehru, dubbing it the ‘Jawahar point’. When this fact was gently tossed at Alvi by the India Today journalist, his reaction was nothing short of theatrical. With a grandiose air, he defended, “You can’t compare Jawahar Lal Nehru. Whatever ISRO is, it is only because of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru.” So, for Alvi, Nehru stands tall, majestic and incomparable even against the might of revered Hindu deities. Such reverence for one’s political ancestors does border on the sycophantic, doesn't it?

However, perhaps what Alvi and his comrades should invest in, aside from unabashed idolatry of the Nehru-Gandhi legacy, is a decent research department. A quick scan would have informed him that renaming landing sites isn't some whimsical Modi-led initiative. Nations with proud space achievements, including the likes of the United States, China, and Russia, have similarly marked their celestial territories in the past. Tradition, it seems, has a knack of continuing across borders and skies, even if some choose to see only the part of history that pleases their narrative.

One might find it surprising (or not) how the celestial bodies beyond our world, especially the Moon, have become hotspots for nations to stamp their legacy. But this practice, contrary to the opinions of certain figures in the Congress party, is neither new nor exclusive to India.

Rewinding back to 2008, Chandrayaan-1, under the Congress-led government, made its mark on the Moon. The Moon Impactor probe of this mission crashed onto the lunar surface near the south pole on November 14. This wasn't just any other event; it was significant enough for the point of impact to be christened ‘Jawahar Sthal’ or Jawahar Point, in honor of India's first prime minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru. One can't help but think: when it's your party at the helm, it's a tribute, but when it's the opposition, it's an overreach?

But let's step out of the national lens for a moment. China, with its impressive Chang’e lunar missions, followed a similar approach. The landing site for their Chang’e 5 moon sample-return mission, launched in November 2020, was baptized ‘Statio Tianchuan’. Meanwhile, the spot touched by the Chang’e-4 lunar probe received the moniker ‘Statio Tianhe,’ merging Chinese reverence for the Milky Way (Tianhe) with Latin's classical touch (Statio).

Crossing over to the USA, nostalgia hits. Who could forget the historic 1969 Apollo 11 mission? When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set their boots on the lunar surface, they did so at "Statio Tranquilitatis" or Tranquillity Base. And this wasn't a one-off. The USA, over the years, continued this practice of naming every new touchdown spot, adding layers to lunar history with each mission.

Russia, not to be left behind in this cosmic name game, has its own tales to tell. The Lune 2 mission, the sixth spacecraft of the Luna program, landed in an area they named Sinus Lunicus. The 1966's Lune 9 had its site christened Planitia Descensus, while Luna 16 in 1970 landed in an area now known as Sinus Successus.

In essence, naming lunar landing sites isn't just a whim of modern politics. It's a global tradition, rooted in pride, history, and a tad bit of sentimentality. While political debates on Earth can be endless, perhaps there's something universally binding about leaving a mark on the Moon. Maybe, just maybe, it's time for all of us to look up more often and realize that some legacies, whether named after political leaders or ancient deities, are written in the stars.