One Giant Leap for Mankind

It was a July night of 1969. Expectancy and anxiety in the air.

Your guess is correct. I am talking about the American lunar mission: Apollo 11.

All of us were awake, awaiting the success of the Apollo mission.

You will ask: What an Indian family had to do with an American event? Even my young mind had sort of questions.

Elder brothers and our parents discussed and explained to us it was not just an American event. It was going to be a great achievement for mankind. If successful, this mission would not only glorify the history of man, but would also open up the new doors for the progress of human race.

See! This is where the family plays a role in the development of thinking and philosophy.

I am not only an Indian. You are not only an American. We all belong to the same race - the human race. Let us share our sorrows and joys. Let us share our moments of glory and pride. We were charged high with these thoughts. We sat praying for the success of the mission.

TV was uncommon in those days. Forget about trans-continental live telecasts! Radio was the only popular medium.

The radio helped us "visualizing" the historic moment of man's landing on the moon. Even for radios, there was no 24x7 broadcast yet! The local All India Radio would go off the air at 11 pm!

We had to tune in to the VOA-the Voice of America. The commentary on the VOA. How exciting it was! And the Lunar Module "Columbia" landed on the moon. Great!

Next few hours, we frequently tuned in to the radio. Finally, Armstrong set foot on the moon. "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

The radio was jubiliant. We were exhilarated. We had shared one of the most glorious moments of the history of human race!

No international call facilities. No SMS. No Internet. No e-mails. In our minds, we congratulated the mentors of the mission. And prayed for the brighter future of mankind.

There are a few great people behind the great achievements. But besides them, there are millions of faceless souls, too.