Sanskrit village witnessing slow death of language

CASTE DISCRIMINATION HAS MADE SANSKRIT SEEM POINTLESS TO MANY DALITS & OBCS

BHOPAL: The village of Mohad in Narsinghpur district seems unremarkable today, but at the turn of the century it attracted curiosity from across the country and around the world. According to residents and media reports from the time, in a single year Mohad became one of the only places in India where most residents spoke Sanskrit.

“Mohad was an inspiring example for all of us in the area,” said Radheyshyam Narolia, 75, a retired deputy director from Madhya Pradesh’s agriculture department. “The way they brought a dead language to life was a rare feat.”

Interviews late last month with more than 50 families in the village showed that Sanskrit is becoming a dead language in Mohad once again. The swayamsevak who initially popularised Sanskrit died without leaving behind a similarly effective successor; alleged caste discrimination has made Sanskrit seem pointless to many Dalits and OBCS, who make up half the population of Mohad; and the state government, which promised to build a Sanskrit school eight years ago, has yet to do anything concrete.

The push for Sanskrit began in 1996. The initial results were swift and startling.