JC says

This is one of the headlines in today’s newspaper (HT Mumbai edition) which got my attention and opened my half closed eyes. Yes, it is true, you may now ask visa office that you want to go to London because you want to learn Sanskrit, a language which was “earlier” mastered in India. A British school (St. James Independent School) in the heart of London has made learning Sanskrit and Vedic Mathematics compulsory for atleast six years. They claim this to be an exquisitely refined, most scientific language which is mother of most of the Indo-European languages. They also claim that this helps students in their overall cognitive development. Most of us Indians have forgotten about these facts and want our students to learn English to cope up with the world, want our students to be taught in “convent schools”. Well, I am no against of teaching English or being taught in convent schools, but we should realise some importance of our own language which “others” have started doing before it is too late. I remember learning vedic mathematics in my school days on my own. I dont think most of the schools even today have vedic mathematics in their curriculum. Sanskrit and Vedic Mathematics are still confined to specialised institutes.
I suppose this is high time when “we” should realise the importance of the language and regain India’s repute as the knowledge hub.