Uttarakhand govt to form panel for revival, development of Sanskrit: Dhami

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday announced the formation of a high-level commission for the revival and development of Sanskrit.

Addressing the two-day International Sanskrit Conference in Haridwar, Dhami said that roots of many languages around the world are linked to Sanskrit and all the ancient texts -- Vedas, Puranas and Upanishads -- were in Sanskrit, which enriched India's ideological heritage.

Pointing to the growing interest among European scholars in the Sanskrit literature of 18th and 19th centuries, he said that ancient universities such as Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramshila and Vallabhi used to disseminate Sanskrit-based knowledge to the world.

Great scholars such as Charaka, Sushruta, Aryabhatta, Bhaskaracharya, Chanakya, Brahmagupta and Panini were born in India, the chief minister said, adding that "it is our duty to enrich Sanskrit in the holy land of Uttarakhand, which gave birth to the Vedas and the knowledge of sages."

Dhami said Uttarakhand has recognised Sanskrit as its second official language and the state government is continuously making efforts to promote Sanskrit education in schools.

He said the state government has resolved to establish Adarsh Sanskrit Gram in every district and efforts are on to increase government assistance in research and employment opportunities for Sanskrit students.

Dhami recollected that he studied Sanskrit till Class 9 and the verses, grammar and sweetness of the language are still alive in his memory.

In the new education policy, special emphasis has been laid on establishing Sanskrit as a modern and practical language, he said.