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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Sanskrit Village in Muslim dominated district of Assam

AI generated image Mumbai: Samskrit Bharati, an organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has planned to develop the country’s third Sanskit Village in Muslim dominated Karimganj district of Assam. The organisation has already developed two Sanskit Villages in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. “Samskrit Village is a place where every villager irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, social and financial status or educational background converses in Sanskrit,” said...

Sanskrit Village in Muslim dominated district of Assam

AI generated image Mumbai: Samskrit Bharati, an organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has planned to develop the country’s third Sanskit Village in Muslim dominated Karimganj district of Assam. The organisation has already developed two Sanskit Villages in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. “Samskrit Village is a place where every villager irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, social and financial status or educational background converses in Sanskrit,” said Shrish Deopujari, the All India Communication Chief of Samskrit Bharati in an exclusive interview to ‘The Perfect Voice’. “There are several misconceptions that are hurdles in popularisation of Sanskrit,” Deopujari said. “We are trying to do away with such misconceptions,” he said. Deopujari said that Samskrit Bharati has developed two Sanskrit Villages in Mutturu in Shivmoga district of Karnataka and Jhiri in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh. “A third is being developed in Karimganj district of Assam where majority population is Muslim,” he said. In Jhiri majority population comprise of SC and OBC communities. “I know a Muslim family in Vijapur that runs one of the biggest cloth stores of the city. Their shop has over a 100 employees. The owners came in contact with Samskrit Bharati and decided to run the shop in Sanskrit language. Over 60 per cent of their employees are Muslims. People now wonder when they see hijab-clad young girls in the shop converse in fluent Sanskrit. This has even given the shop a distinct identity and a great popularity also,” Deopujari said. New Initiatives He denied that all efforts of Sanskri popularisation are centred around academic activities. “It appears so since majority of our activities involve learning and teaching. But there are many things that are being done,” he said. In Gujarat there are several places where traditional Garba is centred around Sanskrit songs. In Assam a group has composed Sanskrit songs that are suitable for Bihu dance. Similar efforts are also undertaken with respect to Rajasthani folk music and tribal music at several places. During recent visit of PM Narendra Modi to Russia a pop singer presented rendition of Atharvasheersh before him. A beetal group in London had translated all his songs to Sanskrit and their Sanskrit programs too are very popular. A famous pop singer Gabriella Burnella too presents songs in Sanskrit. She had learnt Sanskrit since she was four and later persuaded a doctorate in Sanskrit from the Oxford University. The point is all ways and means are being tried to popularise Sanskrit. In fact our moto is to ensure and encourage practical use of Sanskrit in whichever way possible and free the language from the perception that it is only meant for scholarly pursuits. Sanskrit Revival Founded in 1981, Samskrit Bharati is a movement for the continuing protection, development and propagation of the Sanskrit language as well as the literature, tradition and the knowledge systems embedded in it. “Samskrit Bharati’s mission is reviving the language, rejuvenating the culture and rebuilding a nation that is Bharat!” Deopujari said. He said that the way to achieve this is to teach everybody speak Sanskrit. While making efforts to teach everybody, regardless of caste, creed, educational background, gender, financial position, etc. speak Sanskrit, the other set of efforts is aimed at making Sanskrit a link language for all Indians. “Sanskrit is not only accepted but also respected throughout the country. If Sanskrit is introduced in homes, it will impart sanskars to the entire family which is a primary need of the present day. This is all about transforming Sanskrit into a Jana Bhasha or people’s language,” he said.

In a first, Pakistan admits loss during Operation Sindoor

  • PTI
  • 1d
  • 3 min read

President Zardari reveals he was advised to hide in a bunker


Deputy PM says Nur Khan airbase was attacked

ree

By M Zulqernain

Lahore: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has revealed that he was advised to “hide in a bunker” when India launched Operation Sindoor in May this year.


Zardari made the revelation while speaking at an event in Larkana, Sindh province, to mark the 18th death anniversary of his wife and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in a gun and bomb attack in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007.


“My MS (Military Secretary) came to me and said, 'Sir, the war has started.' I had actually told him four days earlier that a war was going to happen. He said, 'Sir, let's go to a bunker (being a safe place)'... I said, 'If martyrdom is to come, it will come here. Leaders don't die in bunkers. They die on the battlefield. They don't die sitting in bunkers,” he said on Saturday.


India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes between the two countries and ended with an understanding to stop the military actions on May 10.


“Pakistan desires peace but remains fully prepared to defend itself,” Zardari said, while making claims about what he called Pakistan's “decisive stance” during the four-day conflict.


President Zardari also praised Army chief Asim Munir for what he called a “befitting reply to India” in the armed conflict in May.


The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) top leader claimed that the international community is now acknowledging Pakistan's stance and even US President Donald Trump had praised Munir.


He also claimed that it was PPP that made Munir the Field Marshal. “We, the PPP, made Gen Munir Field Marshal,” he said.


Zardari's son and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also spoke on the occasion.


Nur Khan Airbase was a target: Dar

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has admitted that India attacked its Nur Khan airbase in the early hours of May 10, in possibly a first-time admission eight months after the four-day armed conflict between the two countries.


Dar also said that Islamabad did not request mediation between Pakistan and India during the May conflict, but claimed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan expressed a desire to speak with New Delhi.


India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.


The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes between the two countries and ended with an understanding to stop the military actions on May 10.


“As many as 79 of 80 drones sent by India were intercepted within 36 hours. India then made the mistake of attacking the Nur Khan Airbase in the early hours of May 10, prompting Pakistan's retaliatory operation,” Dar, who is also the foreign minister, said while outlining Pakistan's diplomatic engagements in 2025.


Dar said that on May 10, US Secretary of State Rubio called him at around 8.17 am, in which he conveyed that India was ready for a ceasefire and asked whether Pakistan would agree. "I said we never wanted to go to war,” Dar added.


He further said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal later contacted him seeking permission to speak with India and “subsequently confirmed that a ceasefire had been agreed.”


Dar also claimed that Pakistan shot down seven Indian jets during the May 7 air battle, without providing any evidence in support of his claims.


The minister reiterated Pakistan's position that lasting peace in the region is linked to a resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

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