Did you hear this?

[Rohit Chopra]

Dear Dr K.Maheswaran Nair

Thank you. I agree entirely with whatever you say. I believe Sanskrit should
be taught as a subject in all humanities and higher educational institutes
in India. The demagogues of the Sangh Parivar have hijacked and communalised
Sanskrit, using it as an emblem of their ideology. Sanskrit thus becomes a
weapon in the hands of the pro-Sangh Parivar and Hindutva brigade, who use
it to attack the Indian left and secularists or the 'westernized elite'. The
latter are falsely accused of being anti-Sanskrit and by implication
anti-India.

But, one can wholeheartedly endorse that Sanskrit should be taught in India
and also be secular at the same time. One can also be comfortable with
elements of 'western' civilization, which whether we like it or not, have
played a role in our history due to the unfortunate historical reality of
colonization. In fact, a lot of people who take a pro-Hindutva stand seem to
have no problems reaping the fruits of western technology, whether in
computing or medicine, while at the same time denouncing the Nehruvian
vision as 'western' or 'elitist'. If I understand correctly, the Nehruvian
vision included a strong emphasis on technological and scientific
development through an emphasis on industrialisation. Industrialisation as a
historical phenomenon  originated in the west, at least the last I heard.
Whether the Nehruvian emphasis on technology translated into unqualified
success is debatable, as the reliance of Indian industry on imports and
license-Raj bureacracy were impediments. It is hoped that the so-called
'knowledge economy' may fulfill that earlier promise, though of course, it
will not benefit most of India's citizens. Thus those of us who criticize
and rubbish the Nehruvian vision as elitist, should not forget that, by the
same standards applied, all of us too are 'elitist'.
I should also point out that it is the Nehruvian vision which it makes it
possible for all of us today - whether we be in India or abroad (in the west
or elsewhere) to have this conversation on this online discussion forum.

However, one question about Sanskrit which you would be in the best position
to answer. I do not have a background in the language or the historical
context in which it emerged as an Indian language; neither am I versed with
the diachronic or synchronic linguistic work on it. However, I do have some
understanding, background and training in Indian history. I believe Sanskrit
was an elitist language, akin to Latin or Greek. It was a Brahmanical
language and the language of the people, at specific historical moments were
other languages, such as Pali. Why is it that just Sanskrit should be
taught? Why not other languages that have been forgotten? I agree that a
vast number of great texts have been written in Sanskrit, but is it not
elitist to dismiss the works in other languages as comparatively irrelevant
in the sense of not being worthy for much-needed resuscitation.  Is that not
elitist, since it makes the presumption that the language of the Brahmanical
and privileged castes is authentically Indian and thus worth preserving,
whereas the languages of other, comparatively less privileged segments of
society - the common people - are not?


I will draw an analogy from the 'west'  - which will annoy some on this
list, but it is only an analogy and is used here for purely heuristic value.
In medieval Europe, Latin was the privileged language in several European
languages and other languages, vernaculars such as French were looked down
upon. Again, it is undeniable that a majority of seminal texts were written
in Latin; however there was also equally wonderful work written in these
other languages.  Did not the same happen in India? Should we then not call
for the teaching of all ancient and neglected Indian languages; should we
not also call for a revival of more recent but neglected languages and
'dialects' such as Hindustani and Urdu (many of which I believe are
artifically termed dialects and are thus denied the privileges accorded to
'languages').

I would also like to raise another point here to pre-empt a section of
pro-RSS pro Hindutva advocates who communalize language issues in India.
This segment will often not consider Urdu a legitimate Indian language based
on the communal assumptions. My own understanding is that Urdu is an Indian
(and also a Pakistani) language since it was the language of a region that
covered what is now both India and Pakistan. Thus Punjabi Hindus, in my
grandparents generation, learnt Urdu as a first language. In fact,
Hindustani - the language with words with Sanskrit, and Urdu roots as well
as Persian and Arabic etymological connections is a more representative
North Indian language than the completely artifical Sanskritized Doordarshan
Hindi which unfortunately has become the only 'authentic' version of Hindi
that the Indian state endorses. This is not meant as a criticism of
Sanskrit, but only to point another instance of how languages, contemporary
and ancient, have been used as political tools in the politics of
post-Independence India.

Once again thanks for your mail. It is heartening to see non-communal views.



>From: Swantham <swantham at TECHPARK.NET>
>Reply-To: Indology <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
>To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK
>Subject: Re: Did you hear this?
>Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 08:10:09 +0530
>
>For whom tolls the bell?
>Hello,
>The Amarakosa says "Samskrtam krtrime" and so it has ever been a mother
>tongue of any people. Sanskrit has been politicised in India. It is used by
>the Hindu communalists as an instrument to rally people behind them.
>Sanskrit is taught in ten days in the so-called 'Sibirams' and those who
>attended such sibirams speak anything and everything as if it is Sanskrit.
>Sanskrit is in this way, being corrupted everyday in India. But the Hindu
>communalists still proceed with their venture. Those who are against them
>ideologically are evaded. Recently, an international Bhagavad Gita seminar
>was organised in my city, Trivandrum. As everyone knows, Gita is one of the
>Prasthanatraya on which Vedanta is based. My centre, the Centre for Vedanta
>Studies, of the University of Kerala, which is a unique centre, was not
>even informed about the event, not to speak of being invited to
>participate. At the same time, I was invited by the Bylorussian
>Metropolitan-sponsored Theology Dept. of the European Humanities
>University, Minsk to deliver lectures on Vedanta. My experience is that
>Sanskrit as such is being protected by scholars outside India rather than
>the Hindu communalists here. I don't think that all Sanskritists in India
>are on the part of the communalists. Recently when there was a Sanskrit
>students conference at Sampurnand University, Benares organised by the
>'hidden communal forces', students revolted, which is a good sign. The
>regime is extending their efforts to implement their 'hidden agenda' in the
>field of Sanskrit studies also. Alert!
>With regards,
>Dr.K.Maheswaran Nair
>Professor of Sanskrit &
>Director,
>Centre for Vedanta Studies,
>University of Kerala,
>Kariavattom P.O.
>Trivandrum.
>----------
> > From: Aditya, the Cheerful Hindu Skeptic <a018967t at BC.SEFLIN.ORG>
> > To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK
> > Subject: Did you hear this?
> > Date: Tuesday, January 30, 2001 5:31 AM
> >
> >  Dead Language Talking by Manu Joseph
> >
> > 2:00 a.m. Jan. 29, 2001 PST
> >
> >  MUMBAI, India -- Some of the most forward-looking engineering students
>in
> > India will soon be learning the ancient language of Sanskrit.
> >
> > The decision by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi to
>offer
> > science courses based on Sanskrit teachings is raising eyebrows at a
>school
> > that is essentially India's answer to the Massachusetts Institute of
> > Technology. After all, there are no treatises in Sanskrit on nuclear
>physics
> > or genetic engineering.
> >
> > Or as one undergraduate put it, "Yes, I know Sanskrit. It's an ancient
> > Indian language, right? But we're all too preoccupied with learning
>here.
>We
> > don't want Sanskrit," he said.
> >
> >
> > But the idea isn't to counter science as we know it today, its backers
>say.
> > It's to widen the spectrum of the student's database, and to give them a
> > sense that Indians didn't begin learning about science the day the
>English
> > colonized them.
> >
> > Ancient Indians are credited with having made amazing discoveries in
> > astronomy, architecture, medicine and other fields. They had a unique
>method
> > of calculation, which is now called Vedic Mathematics.
> >
> > Most of the information of that age was recorded in Sanskrit -- a
>language
> > that hasn't been widely used in a thousand years.
> >
> > "Our notion of science comes from (the) West, in the same way that our
> > notion of education, politics, literature, et cetera, come from the
>West,"
> > said Wagish Shukla, a mathematics professor at IIT, Delhi, who is also a
> > Sanskrit scholar. "We have become an intellectual colony of the West
>under
> > amnesia, regarding the knowledge society we were.
> >
> > "The problem today is that inputs from Sanskrit are disenfranchised from
>our
> > education. For instance, when a student wants to understand a particular
> > issue, he or she is debarred from finding out what Vedanta or Nyaya or
> > Mimamsa (ancient Indian knowledge bases) has to say about it."
> >
> > Two courses have been proposed: Knowledge Orders in Sanskrit Texts and
> > Building Scientific Discourse the Indian Way.
> >
> > The courses will concentrate on how Indian thinkers approached and
>developed
> > academic discipline. For instance, what did they mean by "proof,"
> > "observation," "rule" and other scientific definitions.
> >
> > "There are things of value in Sanskrit texts," Shukla said. "They will
>have
> > to be annotated and retold for the contemporary science worker.
>Translations
> > of Sanskrit texts make no attempt to integrate that knowledge into a
>usable
> > product for the present-day worker in science. In any case, most of the
> > Sanskrit texts, have not even been published."
> >
> >
> >  He also pointed out that some original Sanskrit texts will be discussed
>--
> > "perhaps through English" -- for a better understanding. That's no
> > consolation for many students in IIT (Delhi). There are murmurs of
>muffled
> > protests, but since it is an elective the students can simply avoid it.
> >
> >  "Going back to the roots is all fine, but I don't think I will take up
> > Sanskrit," said Subhajit Sanyal, a Ph.D. student in the computer science
> > department in IIT, Delhi. "There are some students who are very curious
>to
> > explore what old Indian texts have to say about various things, but such
> > guys are very few."
> >
> >  While the IIT administration has confirmed that it will be including
> > Sanskrit courses soon, the exact time of inception is yet to be
>finalized.
> >
> >  There are six Indian Institutes of Technology in different parts of the
> > country, but at this point only the Delhi campus has decided to include
> > Sanskrit in the curriculum for undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate
> > students.
> >
> >  Sanskrit is taught at other universities throughout the country, but
>not
>in
> > the context of using it to understand scientific and mathematic
>principles.
> >
> >  Sanskrit is believed to be over 3,000 years old. It constantly evolved
> > throughout its long history. By about 1000 AD, original Sanskrit had
>almost
> > vanished and given way to newer Indian languages that had evolved along
>the
> > way.
> >
> >  The 1951 Indian census report said that among a population of 362
>million
> > Indians, only 555 spoke Sanskrit. Today, those who understand or speak
> > Sanskrit are predominantly academicians concerned with the subject.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Have a peaceful and joyous day.
> > Aditya Mishra
> > Primary email: a018967t at bc.seflin.org
> > Primary homepage: http://www.pompano.net/~aditya
> > ICQ # 1131674 Phone #: (954)746-0442  Fax # (209)315-8571
> > Random thought of the day:
> >         Nothing soothes me more after a long and maddening course of
>pianoforte recitals than to sit and have my teeth drilled.  ... George
>Bernard Shaw

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