Sanskrit

"For the benefit of the pretentious ignoramuses, let me say that Sanskrit is not all mythology and mumbo jumbo."
Seconded.

A friend's child who was fluent in Sanskrit was ragged in school as 'pundita', and she stopped learning sanskrit.

Another child who was learning french was highly admired in her class circles.

Even god cannot save the educated Indians from their deep inferiority complex.

Anand Rajadhyaksha says
"A wonderful perspective by Narayani Ranganathan on why Sanskrit.
It is a right step by this Government whose impact will be seen 15-20 years later.
Meanwhile, I have a question: when I had passed SSC in 1973, Sanskrit and French were optional languages. You could take either of them. Most convent schools offered French.

Just how many of those who learnt this International Language, spoken in more countries around the World than English, have taken matters forward to benefit from this exposure to French?
The HRD Ministry will have to make more opportunities available for those studying our heritage. Investments will have to be made in encouraging studies that unravel the wealth of knowledge that Sanskrit holds and will have to be harshly monitored to ensure that they do not become sinecures nor pastures for parasites. Knowledge would be forthcoming in the field of architecture, especially eco friendly low cost habit for rural India, water preservation and health, apart from literature. For the benefit of the pretentious ignoramuses, let me say that Sanskrit is not all mythology and mumbo jumbo. "

Narayani Ranganathan

23 November 2014 at 15:01 · New Delhi ·

In the recent Sanskrit controversy, there are two things I have gathered from the posts on FB.
One, that most minorities in India are vocal about not giving any ground to anything that has anything to do with majority's religion - Sanskrit is a thing that they believe is one of them (They don't think of it as an ancient heritage of this land to be preserved) Their argument is that putting it on school curriculum would be communal.
In that, a particular gent from the world of advertising comes to mind. He has said in his FB posts that he prefers Urdu to Sanskrit, and would support that being included into the school curriculum. Strangely, never does he think his open baiting as communal.

Two, Hindu apologists who are very embarrassed about it. They cannot segregate between religion and heritage either. Strangely again, the repeated baiting by the above mentioned gent comes across to them as rational, never communal.
My two bit. Think of Sanskrit as heritage - something that has to be preserved. It has noting to do with ANY religion. Merely India's past. Save on the bile.

Aparna Krishnan Any way are we so apologetic about religion ? The majority of our country is deeply religious and their dharmam revolves around religion. And Sanskrit does also hold religion in its vastness. Yes, we should also have Urdu.

Aparna Krishnan  Just because the BJP have brought this us, a mindless response seems to be to treat Sanskrit itself as untouchable. Added to this is a deep disdain for all that is indian. 

Kannan Thandapani The problem is not about Sanskrit or Hinduism.
As long as a specific way of life, or a specific language is projected as superior or the mother of ALL or the ONLY heritage of India, we will continue to have these debates. ( Not you, but you can see the ruling parivar, and friends on your own threads doing it). The left-out others will continue to object. (and then be branded as leftist or Dravidian)

Why is there not an equal urgency to protect and promote the Pali/Prakrit heritage, or the Tamil or the tribal heritages? Why are we not celebrating Dhammapada and other Buddhist/Jain texts as equally precious as the Gita or Upanishads? Why would we not hail Sangam literature as a pinnacle of poetic achievement that needs to be savoured by all Indians? Why can we not hold Tholkappiar on the same pedestal as Panini?

It is easy to dismiss the dissenters as pretentious ignoramuses. When the move to promote Sanskrit is accompanied by equally sincere measures to preserve and celebrate our Other cultural heritages, the genuine suspicions will give way to a hearty welcome. 

Aparna Krishnan Totally agree Kannan. Yes, it does sound monolithic, but I assumed that it was because here the issue has been Sanskrit as it has been the topic brought up by the Education Minister. Every vernacular and every vernacular literature is important. It is not either-or, but and-and-and. And I do not think Naveen's position would be different. Naveen ?

 

Aparna Krishnan My major issue, and there you would be completely on board, is the dismissiveness of the educated indian towards things indian. that is part of our very education, and our colonied mindset. In the issue under discussion, Sanskrit has been at the receiveing end. In another situation if a school were to convert its uniform from skirt-socks-belt-tie (I grew up like that, sweltering in socks and shoes in delhi heat !) to pavadai, dhavani can you imagine the uproar. That is what I am addressing in my defence of Sanskrit.

 

Aparna Krishnan The educated indian is the bane, having got so deeply colonied. Very often the 'respect' for tradition is for a uprooted culture, as shown by admiring and learning classical dance and music, and not by incorporating in daily life, as shown by dressing in simple indian mores only, speaking indian only ... Sadly by admiring consciously and unconsciously things western, in the reveres etoken they look down on the ordinary and poorer Indians who speak indian (and broken English), dress indian ...

 

 Naveen Manikandan Periasamy Kannan Thandapani Yes, Tamil and vernacular languages should take precedence over Sanskrit. But, while I object to imposition of Hindi, I find that encouragement of Sanskrit will bolster the attempt to preserve regional language. I have great regard and pride for Tamil, but Dravidian politicians who want to remove the spiritual element in Tamil are not worthy of assuming the role of preservationists. They do not even know how far the language dates back and what the palm leaf manuscripts are all about.