Pakistan Sanskrit: Decision to provide direct Sanskrit education in Pakistan, nationwide discussion ensues

Scroll down to read the news in brief...

Despite the political and defense distance between the neighboring countries of India and Pakistan, an important decision connecting cultural heritage has been made in Pakistan. Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) has started four credit courses based on traditional languages, including Sanskrit. There is also a plan to start courses on the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita in the future. It is expected that this decision will enhance the recognition of the shared culture of both countries.

Assistant Professor of Sociology at Forman Christian College, Shahid Rashid, has been trying to start a Sanskrit course for many years. His efforts have now succeeded. Rashid, known as a Sanskrit scholar himself, said, "There is an ocean of knowledge in traditional languages. I first studied Arabic and Persian, then Sanskrit. It took me a year to understand Sanskrit grammar." According to him, if the study of Persian-Arabic languages along with Sanskrit increases in India and Pakistan, a new linguistic bridge will be created in South Asia. "Languages have no boundaries," he also suggested.

Dr. Ali Usman Qasim, Director of the Gurmani Center at LUMS, stated that the university is considering starting a course on the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita soon. He expressed optimism that in the next 10 to 15 years, scholars of the Gita and Mahabharata will emerge in Pakistan. The Tribune reported on this, and it is believed that this decision will give a new shape to India-Pakistan relations on a cultural level.