Sanskrit returns to Pakistan classrooms for the first time after Partition

Sanskrit is making a comeback to Pakistani classrooms for the first time since Partition, with the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) 0reportedly introducing a course in the classical language.

The man behind the initiative

The four-credit course in Sanskrit is largely the outcome of the efforts of Dr Shahid Rasheed, Associate Professor of Sociology at Forman Christian College, who has devoted years to studying the language.

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“Classical languages contain much wisdom for mankind. I started with learning Arabic and Persian, and then studied Sanskrit,” Dr Rasheed told The Tribune, adding that the majority of his learning of the classical language was through online resources.

“It took almost a year to cover classical Sanskrit grammar. And I'm still studying it,” he added.

The course in Sanskrit came to light through a three-month workshop that generated significant interest among students and scholars.

Pakistan’s unexplored Sanskrit collection

Elaborating further, Dr Ali Usman Qasmi, Director of the Gurmani Centre at LUMS, said that even though one of the richest collections of Sanskrit texts is in Pakistan, it remains one of the least explored. He referred to the large archive of palm-leaf manuscripts at Punjab University’s library.

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“A significant collection of Sanskrit palm-leaf manuscripts was catalogued in the 1930s by scholar JCR Woolner, but no Pakistani academic has engaged with this collection since 1947. Only foreign researchers use it. Training scholars locally will change that,” he added.

‘Sanskrit not confined to any religion’

As for being questioned over his keen interest in a language that is primarily associated with Hindu scriptures, Dr Rasheed said that Sanskrit is like a “cultural monument” and is not confined to any particular religion.

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“I tell them, why should we not learn it? It is the binding language of the entire region. Sanskrit grammarian Panini's village was in this region. Much writing was done here during the Indus Valley Civilisation. Sanskrit is like a mountain – a cultural monument. We need to own it. It is ours too; it's not tied to any one particular religion,” he said.

“Imagine if more Hindus and Sikhs in India started learning Arabic, and more Muslims in Pakistan took up Sanskrit, it could be a fresh, hopeful start for South Asia, where languages become bridges instead of barriers,” added Dr. Rasheed.