LORD HANUMAN WAS THE FIRST TO TRAVEL TO SPACE- BJP MP AND FORMER UNION MINISTER ANURAG THAKUR SPARKED DEBATE DURING A SCHOOL INTERACTION IN UNA. (PHOTO).

BJP MP and former Union minister Anurag Thakur sparked debate during a school interaction in Una, Himachal Pradesh, after suggesting that Lord Hanuman was the first to travel to space. The remark came when children, asked who the first man in space was, mistakenly answered “Neil Armstrong.” Instead of correcting them with the name of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who went to space in 1961, Thakur replied, “I think it was Hanumanji,” and later shared the video on social media.

The exchange revealed two major lapses: students not knowing the correct answer, and the parliamentarian reinforcing inaccuracy by blending mythology with science. While Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the Moon in 1969, Yuri Gagarin remains the first human to travel into space. The confusion has raised questions about the state of school education and the responsibility of public leaders to promote fact-based learning.

Thakur defended his statement by urging students to look beyond textbooks and take pride in India’s cultural traditions and knowledge systems, aligning his remarks with the government’s broader push to “decolonise” education. However, experts caution that while mythology should be taught as an important part of culture, it cannot be presented as historical fact without scientific evidence. Article 51A (h) of the Constitution, they note, clearly calls on the state to promote scientific temper.

On social media, Thakur’s video has already received a “Community Note” clarifying that Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space.