After realising Gandhi'svirtue in a case related to the right to go on strike, intellectuals in Kolkata have suddenly been struck by the merits of Sanskrit. Last week, the nine-member committe headed by Ramaranjan Mukherjee, former Vice-Chancellor of Ravindra Bharati University, for rejuvenation of tols (Ashrams) submitted its report to the state government.
The committee stressed on the importance of learning Sanskrit when ?people are becoming increasingly materialistic?. Its report says: ?The undue emphasis on a materialistic way of life and utter neglect of spirituality by Western culture has led to a sense of frustration in the West.? A blend of modern and traditional learning is essential which can help students develop a ?strong personality?. In a way, the report equates Sanskrit learning with character building. Students can inculcate ?moral, social, ethical and spiritual? values by learning Sanskrit, it says. The experts? panel has also suggested a revamp of Sanskrit education, to which the tols are now affiliated, and the degrees they offer. In one way or other, it is the traditional Hindu institutions that teach Sanskrit in the state and who have kept the tradition of teaching Sanskrit alive in this dark era of Left rule.
