From: selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (C.R.Selvakumar - Electrical Engineering)
Subject: Sanskrit and Unity of India
Keywords: Sanskrit and Unity of India
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 04:27:14 GMT


In article <1992Sep8.191502.8477@constellation.ecn.uoknor.edu>, mchundat@kittyhawk.ecn.uoknor.edu (Mathai Chundattu) writes:
> 	The unity of India is strongly connected with the availability
                                                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^
> of a common national language. Even though Hindi was imposed upon all
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

       Yes ! English is the best because it IS already available ( need not
be developed (-:  ) and will simultaneously serve both National and 
International purposes admirably, a sane solution. The people from 
Tamil Nadu had been 
advocating this sensible solution but the rest of India doesn't seem to 
see the wisdom. Hindi and Sanskrit both belong to the same language group 
as English and for a Dravidan language speaker English is not any closer
than Hindi or Sanskrit. [In fact for Hindi speakers and Skt. enthusiasts
English should be closer than for the Tamils]. 

> the states to be adopted as the national language the survival of this
> language in this position is doubtful. Considering the history of India
                                         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> I would suggest that Sanskrit deserves a true consideration to be the
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> national language. The reasons for the suggestion are the following.
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

         If you consider the true history of India you would choose
         Tamil or Telugu !!! I am yet to get convinced that Sanskrit 
         was ever a mother tongue of any sizable group of people.
         Women in literature don't speak Sanskrit !! May be Sanskrit
         could have been a father-tongue not a mother tongue. It was
         certainly a pundit-tongue among some circles while in some
         other circles Tamil was both a mother-tongue and pundit-tonge.
         It's true Sanskrit has a considerable literature but so does an
         equally ancient language with matching richness, namely Tamil. All
         the modern Indian languages I believe are more closely based on 
         Tamil syntax than Sanskrit ( please correct me if I am wrong).
         Since syntax is a more deeply related to the inner life-current
         of a language it might not be incorrect to say almost all
         Indian languages have a deeper connection to Tamil than to
         Sanskrit although there is a heavy borrowing of Indo-Aryan words
         in Hindi and other such languages. I might be able to show that
         there were still numerous native ( which appears to be
         Tamil/Dravidian) words left in tact in Hindi-Bengali-Marathi-
         Oriya-Punjabi-Gujarathi...etc. inspite of the influx of Indo-Aryan
         words if time permits on another occasion.
> 
> 1.	Sanskrit was the undoubted national language of a united India.
       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> The India which evolves from the Vedas, Upanishads and the literature of
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> the past has Sanskrit as the national language.
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

          These statements are unfortunately incorrect. It is true
         that Sanskrit is a language of a group of intelligent and
         resourceful group of people and much interesting works were
         created in this medium but this medium did not gain any popular
         or official recognition or support until well into current era
         and even then only in very limited circles.
         Tamil, Pali, Prakrit and other languages enjoyed greater currency
         and POPULAR ( among the masses) support. Sanskrit is *one* of the
         many languages of India where one can find literature of wisdom
         and pleasure. But Pali or Tamil is no less and I would even argue that
        Tamil being a natural language spoken by probably by millions of 
        people from pre
        historic times has a greater element of India's soul than Sanskrit
        ( which is cultivated and enjoyed in much smaller circles in an 
         artificial manner  , say like a group of mathematicians discussing
          some high level math). I don't understand what you mean 
        by "India evolves from Vedas..". Vedas were like a Bible to 
        some but NOT to all. I think
         it is a willful distortion to say everything comes from Vedas
         ( India evolves from Vedas) which is nothing less than the Christian
         conversion. India is a country of a multitude of tribes and a few of
         them followed Vedas and to say that the cultural heritage of India
         is Vedas is a blatant distortion of truth. More than 90% of people
         followed their own religion and they were influenced by Buddha, Mahavir
         Siddhas and numeruous kings, engineers, and doctors, artists,....
         as well.
         Please note that I'm not saying anything negative about Vedas here
         except to deny that Vedo-centric theories ( that Vedas is the source
         of all wisdom and culture in India).   
> 
> 2.	Sanskrit is a highly respected language in South India. The
> objections to Hindi are voiced predominantly from the southern states.
> On the other hand, Sanskrit would be easily accepted as the national
                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> language.
  ^^^^^^^^^
           As I understand, even Hindi walas won't accept Sanskrit and
           I wonder what a COMMON man from "South India" will do. 
> 
> 3.	By adopting and learning Sanskrit Indians will be exposed to the
> rich Vedic heritage of ancient India. Indians will be more aware of
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> their unity in the past.

         It can be gained even without Sanskrit becoming a National language.
         Vedic Heritage is ONE of many rich heritages of India. I believe that
         followers of Vedas slowly learned a lot of stuff from Tamils,
         Buddhists, Jainists, Siddhas etc. and gave up a lot of their practices
         such as animal sacrifices etc. Most of the practices of Hinduism
         ( right from Temple worship to daily rituals and philosophies) are
         non-vedic. 
> 
> 4.	Sanskrit alphabet is similar to all of the South Indian
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> languages. Only the script is different. The grammar is easy to learn.
  ^^^^^^^^^
           Tamil does not follow Sanskrit system. The other dravidian
           languages "follow" the Sanskrit alphabet mostly but as someone
           had shown for Telugu ( Kishore ??) many of the distinguishing
           alphabet are extremely rare. I believe that the Sanskrit system
           was probably "thrust" on the native populations of India. I believe
           vast majority of Indians are far removed from Sanskrit even though
           in the schools the "teachers" teach them Sanskrit grammar (
           singular, dual, plural or such alphabet as ru lu etc..). 
> 
> 5.	Many of the Sanskrit literature of the past view India as
> united. This will help in realizing the unity of all Indians.
> 
> 6.	There are Sanskrit speaking townships in South India. This shows
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> that Sanskrit should not be considered as a dead language. 
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
           Yes I'm aware of the existence of ( careful creation by an
           interested group) a few townships. It's admirable but in my
           honest opinion misguided. Esperanto is spoken by more number
           of people than Sanskrit in these townships - and this goes to
           prove that given the effort and a "workable" language can be
           created. Jews have also done a remarkable job ( and our Sanskrit
           enthusiasts ferver is no less !!). Technically Sanskrit is not a dead
           language but in my honest opinion, it was never a native language
           of any sizable population ( I mean mother tongue not pundit-tongue).
           
> 
> 7.	One of the main reason to study a language is the lierature in
> that language. Sanskrit boasts of an immense collection of literary
> works unlike the more recent language like Hindi of which the literature
> is alien to most of South Indians.

          Hindi is no more alien than Sanskrit. At least there are certainly
          thousands of common junta (not pundit-folks) of south who can 
          speak Hindi even now unlike Sanskrit. For the common man Sanskrit
          will be far more difficult and unwelcome than Hindi. But English
          and regional language will do why bring Hindi or Sanskrit ?? 
          It is extremely
          disheartening to see the lack of wisdom in not seeing the 
          simplicity and benefit and the justice of the two-language formula. 
          Tamils are certainly wisest in this respect.
         
> 
> 8.	Many South Indians view Hindi as more alien than English. One
> reason for this is that they have no consideration for the Hindi
> literature which appeals to only a fraction of Indians.

         If you know the history of India well enough you will either
         accept Tamil as a national language or just accept English as
         both as a national and International language. Since the thought
         of Tamil being a national language should look unacceptable to
         most we are left with the choice of English. If anyone thinks
         that Sanskrit as national language is a sane idea he/she should 
         consider Tamil in the same light. Tamil being a Dravidan language
         and not related to English ( as Sanskrit undoubtedly is) it has
         higher credentials as an "Indian" language than Hindi or Sanskrit
         since Hindi and Sanskrit have links with English (!!)
         ( if at all this is a criteria. In my opinion it should NOT be a 
         criteria; I'm saying this to English-hataoists) 
> 
> 
> Mathai
> -- 
> Mathai Chundatt
> Department of Chemical Engineering & Material Science
> University of Oklahoma, Norman
> OK 


         Selva Selvakumar
         P.S. Please post your responses if any in soc.culture.tamil as well.
Organization: Senior, Civil Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA