KOZHIKODE: Behind Rasiya Mohammedkutty’s highly conservative, purdahclad appearance exists a mouldbreaker. She takes Sanskrit classes for 96 students at Mother’s Institute at Edappal in Malappuram. Rasiya’s thought is simple - knowledge is for all. “There shouldn’t be any kind of reservation or discrimination when it comes to acquiring knowledge,” said Rasiya.
She was drawn to the language in 2012 after a failed attempt to learn French. A group of Viswa Sanskrit Prathishthan volunteers approached her with leaflets featuring a Sanskrit course and her enquiry about the possibility for a Muslim woman to learn Sanskrit met with nods of approval and appreciation. Rasiya wasted little time in enrolling for the two-year course at Kodungalloor.
The teachers at the Viswa Sanskrit Prathishthan too were supportive as Rasiya completed Pravesha, Parichaya, Shiksha and Kovida levels. “It was not easy to study a language with complex grammatical patterns,” said Rasiya, a Chemistry graduate from CMS College, Kottayam. Her institute now offers Praveshika, the preliminary Sanskrit course.
Rasiya, who so far has taught 180 students, has also set up a library to deepen her knowledge in Sanskrit literature. Rasiya’s students too follow her philosophy. “Our aim is not only to get jobs but to know a language is a privilege and an added merit,” said Vineetha K S, a student. In fact, Muslim students constitute nearly half of Rasiya’s current batch, including Muslim scholar Rasheed Baqawi. Was there any resistance from their families? “We did not face any resistance from our families. They extended all possible support to us when we wanted to learn Sanskrit,” said Nafeesa M V.