Aziz Qureshi laments Uttarakhand government apathy towards Sanskrit University

DEHRADUN: Accusing successive Congress governments in Uttarakhand of doing nothing for the sole Sanskrit University based in Haridwar, Governor Aziz Qureshi today said it was unfortunate considering the fact that the ancient Indian language enjoys the status of the second official language of the state.

"Government apathy towards the sole Sanskrit University in the state becomes clear when we consider the fact that despite years after being established it still doesn't meet the UGC norms of having a full-fledged faculty and infrastructure," Qureshi said at a press conference in Raj Bhawan which is going to host a three-day International Sanskrit Conference from September 26.

Alleging that the University is in a state of utter neglect, the governor said he had written several times to previous Vijay Bahuguna government and the present one headed by Harish Rawat drawing their attention to the poor conditions of the varsity but to no avail.

"Sadly, nothing has been done so far for the university. Our professed reverence for the ancient language looks fake," he said.

Vice-Chancellor of the University Mahavir Aggrawal who was also present at the press conference informed that it does not have an auditorium, a hostel, a library and a research centre of its own.

"My visit as an MP a few decades ago to a predominantly Islamic country like Indonesia was an eye opener where the ancient Indian language commands tremendous respect among people. It is deeply imbued in Ramayana culture.

"The entire story of Ram from his birth to the slaying of Ravana is engraved in wooden carvings in Jakarta. Even Indonesian names have recognisable elements of Sanskrit in them," Qureshi said.

"If they can give so much respect to a foreign language, why can't we?" he asked.

"It is painful to note that Sanskrit from which almost all the Indian languages have originated and which has deeply influenced some of the world's oldest languages including Arabic should meet a fate like this in the country where it was born," Qureshi said.

The Governor said he has been passionate about Sanskrit since his student days and even wanted to have a master's degree in Sanskrit literature but his political preoccupations came in the way.

However, the forthcoming International Sanskrit Conference where delegates from across the country and abroad will deliberate on how to restore the status of Sanskrit as a language of the masses is to some extent an expression of that passion, Qureshi said.

"It is sad that a language of the masses has been reduced to being a language of the classes in the country of its birth," he lamented.

The Vice Chancellor of the Sanskrit University which is organising the conference said the event was conceived by the Governor and it was solely due to his initiative and encouragement that they could pluck the courage to organise it on such a grand scale.