Govt to step up efforts to promote ancient language Sanskrit

NEW DELHI: Describing Sanskrit language as the " spirit of India", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said Government will further strengthen efforts for promotion, development and enrichment of the ancient language.

Addressing the 15th World Sanskrit Conference here, Singh said the spirit of liberalism and tolerance embedded in it must be inculcated in our present day life.

"Like the civilisation of India, Sanskrit does not belong to any particular race, sect or religion. It represents a culture that is not narrow and sectarian but open tolerant and all-embracing...It is this spirit of liberalism and tolerance embedded in Sanskrit that we must inculcate in our present day life," the Prime Minister said.

Singh noted that Sanskrit, which is recognised as one of the oldest living languages in world, is often misunderstood as only a language of religious hymns and rituals.

"Such an understanding does great injustice to the great genius of the language and betrays ignorance of the work of great writers, thinkers, sages and scientists like Kautilya, Charaka, Sushruta, Aryabhata, Varahmihira, Brahmagupta, Bhaskaracharya an others," he said.

Maintaining that Sanskrit has a treasure of knowledge of Mathematics, Medicines, Botany, Chemistry, Arts and Humanities, the Prime Minister felt that if we provide the missing links and establish the required inter-disciplinary approaches, the wisdom of Sanskrit has the potential of enriching the present days knowledge systems and Indian languages immensely.

Stressing that his government is committed to promotion and the development of the Sanskrit language and listing the steps being taken, Singh said, "...in the time to come, we will further strengthen our efforts for promotion, development and enrichment of Sanskrit language."