Haridwar: At the conclusion of the two-day International Sanskrit Conference being held at the Sanskrit Academy by Uttarakhand Sanskrit University, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced the formation of a high-level commission for the upliftment and development of Sanskrit. He said that the development of ancient human civilizations was possible only on the basis of the Sanskrit language. Most of the world’s languages are rooted in Sanskrit in some way or another.
Speaking as the chief guest at the conference on Monday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that if we look at the history of Sanatan culture and the Vedic period, all the Vedas, Puranas, and Upanishads were composed in Sanskrit. The Sanskrit language is eternal and infinite. It is believed that Sanskrit was invented by the gods, hence it is also called the “Devvani” (the language of the gods). In the 19th century, when some foreign scholars came into contact with the Indian knowledge tradition, they were astonished to see how extensive and profound knowledge of the ancient sage tradition, Vedas, Upanishads, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, literature, and grammar, is preserved in the Sanskrit language.
Former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said that Uttarakhand is the first state in the country to declare Sanskrit as the second official language. Devbhoomi Uttarakhand has been a vibrant and important center of the Indian knowledge tradition since ancient times.
Discussing the importance of Sanskrit, Nishank said that Sanskrit is not just a language but the soul of India. He appealed to all Sanskrit lovers present at the event to promote Sanskrit with full devotion and dedication. Present on the occasion were Sanskrit Education Secretary Deepak Kumar Gairola, Foreign Ministry Secretary Dr. Neena Malhotra, Ranipur MLA Adesh Chauhan, University Vice Chancellor Prof. Dinesh Chandra Shastri, Registrar Dinesh Kumar, Dr. Suman Bhatt, Dr. Prakash Pant, Roorkee MLA Pradeep Batra, Minister of State with Independent Charge Shyamveer Saini, former University Vice Chancellor Prof. Sudharani Pandey, Sanskrit Academy Secretary Prof. Manoj Kishore Pant, Prof. Chand Kiran Saluja, Dr. Vajrashwa Arya, and others.
CM recites verses
At the event, the CM said, “I studied Sanskrit up to grade nine during my school days. The verses and lines I learned then, the basic rules of grammar, and the sweetness of Sanskrit still inspire me. After that, I lost practice in speaking, and now I don’t have time.” The Chief Minister also recited some Sanskrit verses I memorized during my studies.
