Sanskrit was originally the language of the gods the their beloved people. Manu stipulated a terrible fate for the lower caste people who dared to listen to the Vedas or utter the shlokas. “If the Sudra intentionally listens for committing to memory the Veda, then his ears should be filled with (molten) lead; if he utters the Veda, then his tongue should be cut off.” Now some 3000 years after those glorious days, the language is struggling to find learners. Hence the BJP government has decided to make it compulsory in certain schools. A language is ineluctably associated with a culture. When the culture evolves, the language has to evolve too. Conversely, the death of a language implies the death of a culture. The ancient Brahminical tradition with its neat and convenient hierarchy which ensured that power remained concentrated in a few hands died as the civilisation evolved and democratic ideas overtook it. By the time India bec...
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