Armeena Khan praises Indian man for saying country's moon landing is a win for all South Asians

There has been a lot of talk on the internet about India’s successful space mission to the moon and celebrities, both within and across the border, have been weighing in on the historic moment with their thoughts and congratulatory messages.

Pakistani actor Armeena Khan ended up indirectly commenting on the situation when she quote-tweeted and replied to an India man who stated that Chandrayaan-3’s landing on the moon was a success to be celebrated by all the people of South Asia.

Twitter user Ankit Tripathy said that this was not a win for a single country or faith, but for all countries and faiths that reside within South Asia—a region that is typically seen as the underdog when it comes to scientific advancement and innovation. In return, Armeena appreciated him for his generosity in claiming that this was a moment for celebration for all South Asians, regardless of their nationality or religion.

This exchange was set into motion when former BBC-sports journalist and now YouTuber Rasheed Shakoor posted on Twitter about the fact that India had reached the moon but that people in Pakistan were still going to fight over moon sightings on the eve of Eid. In his tweet, he emphasized the idea that the discrepancy between Pakistan and India’s accomplishments in the fields of science and technology all comes down to a difference of how the two nations think.

Rasheed’s tweet was a direct criticism of Pakistani people and their penchant to focus on trivial matters, rather than concentrating their energies on something important. Underneath this tweet, Ankit commented that India’s achievement of becoming the fourth nation to land on the moon was an achievement worth celebrating for all South Asians. He ended his comment by encouraging Rasheed to rejoice and saying that, one day, Pakistan would also cross this milestone.

Armeena came across this conversation and decided to chime in, praising Ankit for his gracious comment.

Ankit’s original comment under Rasheed’s tweet read: “This is a success for the whole of humankind, especially South Asia. It represents all moons, of Eid, of Shivratri, of the birth of Guru Nanak Devji and of the Easter Sunday. It represents you, me, and all of us. Rejoice it. Someday, your country will be there as well.”

In response, Armeena wrote “What a beautiful comment. I wish we had more inclusive people like you in the world. Stay blessed and enjoy this moment. Congratulations.”