Chennai: Setting up the stage for yet another controversy, Press Council of India chairman and former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju on Thursday claimed that the spirit of Sanskrit is the factor that unites India.
The proposal for celebration of Sanskrit week in CBSE schools across the country attracted strong opposition from all political parties in the state just a few weeks ago.
“Despite tremendous diversity in India, the factor that is uniting us is a spirit of Sanskrit culture. Something special about Sanskrit that helps us remain united,” Justice Katju said while inaugurating 71st Y’s Men International Convention here. Stating that there was a misunderstanding that Sanskrit dominated other languages including Tamil, he said he respects all the languages including Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Punjabi.
The former CJI also dismissed as myth that Sanskrit is a language of religion and worship. “About 95 per cent of Sanskrit literature has nothing to do with religion. It deals with subjects like philosophy, science and laws. It also teaches anti religion. It covers wide spectrum of subjects,” he said.
Justice Katju rubbished the claim made by some people that in ancient India there was atom bomb and aeroplane as nonsense. “Ramayan and Mahabarath are epic poems. Poets always has poetic licence. It means that poets can exaggerate and they can embellish. Don’t take it literally," he said.
Mr Markandey Katju also claimed that the theory of Dravidians as original inhabitants of India is also proved wrong.
Both the Aryans and Dravidians were immigrants to the country, he said, adding that original inhabitants were scheduled tribes who were pushed to forests by the immigrants.
