Sanskrit to be an elective subject in schools

[Aditya Mishra]

It is not a matter of one language being superior to other. As a matter 
of fact, a majority of Indians i.e. Hindus worship Sanskrit since Vedas 
are written in this language. 

BUT, and big BUT, not all are Hindus and India is a secular country. I 
myself learned Sanskrit in Jr. HS as an optional subject. I was motivated 
in that direction partly because I am Brahmin and am supposed to read 
Sanskrit for rituals.

Even Hindus do not want to learn Sanskrit since it an extra burden in the 
curriculum. Relation of Sanskrit to the modern day languages is like Latin 
to Italian. Sanskrit is essentially a dead language and the only country 
that has revived a dead language is Israel to make it an official 
language but Israel is a theocratic state with only one religion. Even 
catholic church has to give Latin mass eventually and catholics are no 
less religious on that account.

As a matter of fact even the language contemplated and de jure official 
language i.e. Hindi is resisted by a great many Hindus, and de facto 
official language continues to be English despite all the political 
fervor by the leading opposition parties. The public schools teach Hindi 
but any Indian who can afford sends his children to private English 
medium schools and English medium schooling has become one of the most 
profitable industry in India. It is these schools that Dominick has 
written about.


Aditya Mishra
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