Residents of Sunita William’s ancestral village and her Indian kinfolk have fun her protected touchdown. She and one other astronaut returned to Earth this week after greater than 9 months in house.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
It’s a uncommon little bit of beautiful information. Two astronauts returned to Earth this week after greater than 9 months in house after their weeklong mission went awry. They landed in waters off Florida as dolphins performed throughout their capsule.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SANDRA JONES: And splashdown. Crew-9 again on Earth.
(APPLAUSE)
CHANG: And hundreds of miles away, in India, there have been different celebrations, as NPR’s Diaa Hadid studies.
(CHEERING)
DIAA HADID, BYLINE: One village specifically celebrated as NASA welcomed again Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams again to Earth, residents of Duluma (ph), the ancestral house of American astronaut Suni – or Sunita – Williams. In video by the Indian company ANI, they set off fireworks to have fun her arrival. The day earlier than, villagers carried out a particular prayer, an arti, for her protected return.
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HADID: Williams’ cousin, 84-year-old Dinesh Rawal, lives within the close by metropolis of Ahmedabad. He says the household is so completely happy that she’s again.
DINESH RAWAL: (Non-English language spoken).
HADID: We met Rawal at his house.
Namaste.
As we sit down, he pops milky sweets into our mouths to have fun Williams’ return.
Are you going to feed me, too?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Laughter).
RAWAL: (Non-English language spoken).
HADID: All proper. Go on.
Rawal says they actually started to fret about Williams, as her eight-day house mission had change into…
RAWAL: 9 month, 13 days.
HADID: Rawal says his uncle, Williams’ father, migrated to the U.S. within the ’50s as a scholar. However he by no means misplaced contact, and Williams got here again a number of instances as nicely.
RAWAL: (Non-English language spoken).
HADID: He says, as a child, she preferred working after the village goats. On her current journeys again, she was fated as a distinguished astronaut with Indian heritage. In a single photograph, residents place an honorary white turban on her head. He says all Indians are happy with Williams, together with the prime minister, Narendra Modi. He congratulated her on X, saying she was an instance of, quote, “grit, braveness and the boundless human spirit.” And she or he’s testomony to the success of Indian migrants within the US. Rawal says Williams’ father was invited to the U.S. within the ’50s to review medication.
RAWAL: (Non-English language spoken).
HADID: On the taxpayers’ dime, he says, so I ask if the funding has been paid off.
RAWAL: (Laughter)
HADID: Rawal says he hopes Williams will go to India quickly. In fact she’ll be celebrated, however principally, Rawal needs to see her.
RAWAL: (Non-English language spoken).
HADID: He says he is aware of Williams will come and go to whereas he is nonetheless alive. India, in spite of everything, is nearer than outer house.
Diaa Hadid, NPR Information, Ahmedabad.
(SOUNDBITE OF CHANCE THE RAPPER SONG, “CHILD OF GOD”)
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