THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said language should not be linked to any religion. “Language cannot be seen as the private property of any religious group. The term ‘Sanskrit’ is now subject to great distortions,” he said. The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating the 130th anniversary of the Government Sanskrit College and the newly-constructed academic house at the college.
“A large part of India’s scientific wealth is compiled in Sanskrit. This language is used to share India’s ancient knowledge, including Ayurveda, mathematics, philosophy, poetry and literature. In modern times, superstitions, which are incompatible with scientific thinking, may have spread under the influence of Sanskrit. What is required here is to accept the good and reject the others,” he said.
Highlighting the secular nature of the language, Pinarayi said ‘Kristhubhagavatham’ the Sanskrit epic on the life of Jesus Christ composed by Professor P C Devasia is a classic example. The Indian language is taught at universities in Germany and England. University College and Sanskrit College are the heartbeats of the capital. These colleges will be strengthened. The Chief Minister said that `8 crore has been allotted from KIIFB for the infrastructure development of the Sanskrit College,” he said.
UG/PG courses in Yoga
Higher Education Minister K T Jaleel, who chaired the meeting, said Yoga undergraduate and postgraduate courses would be started in the state. Councillor Aisha Baker, alumni association president Dr P P Laila Prasad, research representative Ratheesh K R, Student Union representative Abhijith and others spoke at the function. As part of the celebration, a wide range of programmes, including the Interschool Sanskrit Drama Festival and the National Vocabulary Festival, are being held.