MM Joshi feels India not 'Vishwaguru' anymore even as he bats for Sanskrit revival

Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Monday (April 20) said India is not a ‘vishwaguru’ (global teacher) anymore and the term should not be used. He also advocated for a stronger promotion of Sanskrit and its application, even in quantum computing.

While addressing reporters during an event in New Delhi, Joshi also batted for the designation of Sanskrit as India's official language, noting that many people, including former leader B R Ambedkar, had previously made efforts towards this goal, yet the proposals were not approved.

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The 92-year-old leader, who is a former Union minister and ex-president of the saffron party and currently a member of its Margdarshak Mandal, interacted with the media at the inauguration of the central office of the Sanskrit Bharati, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

'India was vishwaguru, not anymore'

Asked about his view on India’s role in the promotion of Sanskrit at a time when India has become a 'vishwaguru' and is also emerging as an AI hub, Joshi said, “The notion that we are a ‘vishwaguru’... I personally believe nowadays that we should refrain from using this term. We are not ‘vishwaguru’ at present. We should aspire to be ‘vishwaguru’. Indeed, we were 'vishwaguru' at one time. However, the reality today is that we are not.”

From this point of view, Sanskrit is very significant today, the veteran said, batting for greater promotion of the ancient language and its use in modern scientific pursuits, including quantum computing.

“Sanskrit is not merely India's heritage, but the heritage of the world. It is the oldest language. It is also the language of knowledge and science. It is the language of spirituality. It is also the language of technology. Sanskrit is the very 'prana' (life force) of Bharat,” Joshi, who was once the parliamentarian from Varanasi before Prime Minister Narendra Modi succeeded him there in 2014, said.

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“Even experts at NASA repeatedly affirm that Sanskrit is, in reality, the most significant language for computing. In what is currently termed quantum computing, Sanskrit will hold paramount importance,” he said, adding, “I believe that it would be an unprecedented contribution from India if we make Sanskrit the language for computing as soon as possible.”

Batting for making Sanskrit the official language of India, Joshi said it will be a true achievement for the country when the majority of the work is done in this ancient language.

'Ambedkar tried to make Sanskrit India's official language'

“When the Constitution was being drafted, Dr Ambedkar, too, made an effort to make Sanskrit India's official language. Several individuals put forward proposals to this effect. However, the proposals were not passed,” he said.

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“Nevertheless, my point is that even back then, it was the desire of many people that Sanskrit should be the official language of India,” he added.

Joshi also called on people, especially the youth, to learn Sanskrit and gain knowledge from the literature available in the language.

(With agency inputs)