RSS-affiliate to test JNU with Sanskrit conclave

RSS-affiliated Sanskrit Bharati, an organisation dedicated to the revival of the language, would be holding a maga Sanskrit Youth Fest in JNU on February 22 in what could once again ignite the saffronisation debate in which JNU had taken the lead.

While the JNU administration has extended its support to the event — Sanskrit Bharati is organising the event in association with the Centre for Sanskrit Studies of JNU — teachers from IIT Delhi, too, would be participating, apart from some 500-odd students drawn from different departments of varsities and colleges from across the national Capital.

The event includes competitions in speech, play, song poster-making and on-the-spot shloka-making competitions, all in Sanskrit.

"In order to popularise the language that is the hallmark of Indian culture, we have also invited IAS and IPS officers, who qualified UPSC exam taking Sanskrit as one of the subjects of the examination," Kaushal Kishore Tiwari of the Sanskrit Bharati told DNA.

The organisation would also be showcasing an exhibition titled, 'Technology in Sanskrit', and a separate session on the topic, which might spark controversy as it would claim to be the knowledge of contemporary technologies in ancient and medieval Sanskrit texts. Professors from IIT Delhi would be addressing the session.

"The knowledge of such technology, which is generally associated with current times such as sea-faring ships or generation of electricity and aeroplanes or heliocentric solar system were recorded in Sanskrit texts way before modern times. Professors from IIT Delhi will be presenting expositions to this effect as some have been working on it for years now," Tiwari said.

"The vice chancellor of JNU Jagadesh Kumar as well as senior functionaries of Sanskar Bharati such as Hare Ram Tripathi and Jayaprakash ji will also be present," Tiwari added.