‘Our attitude to Sanskrit must change’

KALADY: The attitude of people towards Sanskrit must change, said UGC Vice-Chairman Mool Chand Sharma here on Tuesday. Sanskrit, unlike other languages in India, is holistic, bears the rich tradition, culture and values of the nation, he said.

He was delivering the keynote address after presenting the first Sree Sankara Senior Fellowship (SSSF) to educationist, philosopher and writer R. Balasubramanian at the University Auditorium here.

The fellowship worth Rs 2 lakh is one of the most prestigious fellowships instituted by Sree Sankaracharya Sanskrit University for the research and publication of a treatise on the works of Sree Sankaracharya.

Sree Sankara Universitynot only works for the cause of education but also for human peace and prosperity, and for perpetuating the meaning of co-existence, Sharma said.

The excitement of learning is fast vanishing from the field of education. Education should be aimed to produce better individuals, he said.

“The activities of the university should be based on creativity and sharp vision. In the light of globalisation, a large number of foreign students have started coming to India to study our culture, tradition, and people, which is possible only through learning Sanskrit,” he said.

Sharma said that the university can play an important role to highlight the importance of Sanskrit to cater to the needs of the foreign students.

Sanskrit will be the most valuable contribution of India to the international community and the Sanskrit varsity can play a crucial role in this, he said.

The university, which was recently included in ‘12 B’ category by the UGC, deserved more financial aids. The UGC will give special attention to this issue in the 11th Plan which will begin in a few months, Sharma said.

“Sanskrit University should work hard to enhance its credibility. It should propose projects which should be acceptable and beneficial to students from abroad,” Sharma said.

Sanskrit varsity VC K S Radhakrishnan presided over the function. R Balasubramanian who received the fellowship has specialised in the study of Advaita Vedanta and other Indian philosophical systems.

Former chairman of ICHR M G S Narayanan, Sanskrit University Syndicate members P Leelakrishnan, T Bhaskaran and S A Shajahan, Registrar S Premjith and Director (Planning & Development) V K Abdul Jaleel spoke.