By: Parmanand Pandey, Advocate, Supreme Court (Secretary General IPC)
Yogi Adityanath Government of Uttar Pradesh has taken a very bold, timely and laudable decision of issuing state government’s Press Releases in Sanskrit also. This step should have been taken long back by the previous governments, but anyway, it is always better late than never. Sanskrit is in the DNA of all Indian languages and it gives a feeling of ‘beingness’ to all Indians.
There is no dearth of such people, who take perverted pleasure in criticising any such action which fills the heart of every Indian with the sense of pride. How strange it is that we have the centres of learning of Sanskrit in the Banaras Hindu University and Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya of Varanasi, but they have now become arid because sources of modern Sanskrit learning have almost been kept dry.
The less said about the condition of universities in Uttar Pradesh, is better. It has become so pathetic that it is difficult to find even the sparks of learning among the teachers and students as well. Faculties of almost all universities are stuffed with dunes and duffers, who do not qualify to be called even mediocre. In such circumstances, one can nurse to have some hopes from Sanskrit only. Many Sanskrit graduates (Shastri) and Postgraduates (Acharyas) are although well-versed in the language but for want of enough opportunities, they remain untouched with the modern developments like the construction of the syntaxes of the language, although rich resources for such learning are readily available in ancient Sanskrit taxts, like Astadhyayi of Panini.
It is a matter of common knowledge that the more the Sanskrit is enriched, the more will be good for all other Indian languages. Sanskrit is the language of science and technology, medicine, agriculture, horticulture, arts, literature, law and music etc. The vocabulary of Sanskrit is so vast and rich that it can export exact and proper terms for all streams of learning. As for the language of communication is concerned Hindi is certainly far ahead of others but it is inadequate for the education of science, commerce, law and engineering etc. No offence is intended in saying that one can only write poems, novels, stories, essays and journalistic reports with the help Urdu or Urdu mixed Hindi but cannot help develop the learning of scientific ( medical and engineering etc,), legal, commercial language required for higher education in any of the aforementioned streams. Therefore, the decision of Yogi Government for the promotion of Sanskrit language is to be welcomed by one and all.
There are some people, who suffer from the disease called chronic cynicism, deep depression and pathological hatred for anything which is done for the revival of Sanskrit. They forget that Sanskrit has survived in India from time thousands of years without any patronage but because of the utility of its rich lexicon and grammar to be used in the astrology, mathematics and science, culture and religion etc.
There has to be a strong will to make a language strong. We have a burning example of the Hebrew language, which was considered to be a dead language. But now due to the grit and determination of the Jews, particularly Hebrew but after Israel came into existence, it has become a thriving and a vibrant language. Jews from all over the world, who came live in Israel, decided that they would revive their own language Hebrew and true to their determination they have proved to be right. Even those who went from India from places like Manipur and Mumbai to settle down in Israel after tracing their history of being Jews they have also go themselves fully assimilated with other Jews of other countries. Their religion and the Hebrew language have worked as the biggest cementing force among them Anyway, Sanskrit needs to be encouraged as it is inalienably linked to the cultures of India.a
Here is a tailpiece. It is said that Muslims of Malihabad of Lucknow have also their origin in Judaism. They were persecuted by Islamists and then fled to India to save their lives but ultimately they were made to convert to Islam. Now, it is heard, that some of them are rearing to go back to go to their roots.