India's launch of its first dedicated space observatory from the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh indicates its quantitative and qualitative competitiveness in world races where everyone always fights to take the lead. Confirmations made by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman AS Kiran Kumar that "the locally-made Astrosat was launched into space onboard a locally-made rocket carrying six satellites, including four American ones" again indicates both major and minor countries' persistence to achieve aspirations and better life for future generations.

Moreover, placing the telescope that was manufactured by ISRO with the aim of studying celestial objects including black holes, stars and galaxies, 650 km above Earth's surface on a five-year mission, once more emphasizes that nothing is impossible with patience and persistence. With this step, India will be the fourth country worldwide, after the US, EU and Japan, to have an observatory orbiting in space, which is a turning point in the history and the future of the entire international community that is already full of challenges and change of balances of powers.

We critically need to reconsider our UN membership in view of drastic changes in the circumstances that called for establishing the United Nations in the first place. It is also noteworthy to mention that the UN came for all nations not only for those with shared and common interests against the entire world with all its ethnicities and regional communities.

International leadership and advancement belongs to all mankind on a planet inhabited by all kinds and races of people rather than those practicing martial (war) arts, testing weapons and explosives in their 'lab zones'. International silence occasionally needs to throw some stones in stagnant waters in order to avoid hearing promises, then end up with nothing but mirage and the sound of some hollow drums here and there!

By Labeed Abdal

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