Dear Editor,
It is a pity that some of our leaders rush to issue outlandish statements about language and put governments and academics in awkward positions, e.g. Uma Bharti’s prediction that Sanskrit can replace English in India.
It is a fact that Sanskrit is the oldest language of the world and we are lucky that we are putting its lexicon, syntax and grammar to efficient and productive use in universities and the electronic media for dissemination of information. However, how can we shut our eyes to the reality of the spread and popularity of the English language. It is the language of trade, business, international relations and of civil and military aviation. Our Prime Ministers interact with other nationalities only through English. Learn Sanskrit by all means but expecting it to replace English is anybody’s guess.
Mohan Singh
Akhnoor
