Learning of Sanskrit is 'discouraged' in Tamil Nadu, regrets Nirmala Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman regretted on Thursday that learning of Sanskrit is discouraged in Tamil Nadu. She said in her early schooling and going till college, learning Sanskrit was not easy at all because of the "political environment in which we lived."

"And it's not as if I lived in a foreign country. I lived in Tamil Nadu. Sanskrit was discouraged and I think even today they discourage," Sitharaman said.

In spite of that, she said her parents insisted and she found a good teacher and privately learnt Sanskrit "somewhat".


"Learning Sanskrit or learning Hindi was not encouraged at all (in Tamil Nadu)..," the Minister said.

Sitharaman was speaking at a function organised by 'Karnataka Samskrit University', on the occasion of Pre-graduate Convocation and 'Sanskrit week celebration'.

She said she is very proud to know that Karnataka as a State is encouraging learning of Sanskrit.

The Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka said she was very impressed to know that more than 35,000 students all over Karnataka are learning Sanskrit.

Sitharaman said in the last seven-eight years, since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, several steps have been taken to develop, encourage and cultivate India's rich and ancient language, including financial assistance to research projects and publications.