Madarsa students learn Sanskrit under ‘modernisation’ scheme

GORAKHPUR: Rahmat Ali, 12, a student at Darul-ul-uloom Hussainia, a city-based madarsa, is learning to pronounce and write difficult Sanskrit words with the same interest with which he recites Arabic verses from the Holy Quran.

It may sound odd only because very few know that aided madrasas in UP, including 10 in Gorakhpur, have been teaching Sanskrit to students as part of language subject under Madrasa modernisation scheme launched in 1995 by the then Congress government and later renamed as Scheme to Provide Quality Education in Madarsas (SPQEM).

The scheme is in focus now as the Yogi Adityanath government has announced to go extra miles to revive the ancient language by resetting Uttar Pradesh Secondary Sanskrit Education Board.

The Sanskrit Board was first formed in 2001 by the then BJP government. It, however, remained defunct till date.

“Sanskrit is not a separate subject at madrasas but taught as part of Hindi curriculum. Hindi text books contain 3 to 4 chapters of Sanskrit that are taught to student as optional subjects,” said Sanjay Mishra, district minority officer (DMO).

“Sanskrit is not a separate subject but taught as language under Madrasa modernisation scheme, like maths, science, social science, and language (Hindi, Urdu, Arabic Sanskrit). Hindi text books like Manjari containing Sanskrit chapters are distributed to aided madarsas by minority department,” said Mishra.

While students of class 1to 5 are taught Hindi through text book Kalrav, students from class 6 to8 are taught Manjari which includes Sanskrit chapters like Krida Mahotsav, Patra Nauka, Murkha Sevakah, Vrasharituh etc. Interestingly, here Sanskrit is taught to students by Muslim teachers like Rana Iqbal, Shiri Tabassum, Shabana Begun etc.