Sanskrit returns to Pakistan classrooms

For the first time since Partition, Sanskrit is returning to classrooms in Pakistan, marking a significant cultural and academic shift.  Reported by Anushree Jonko from NDTV

The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) has introduced a four-credit course in the classical language, an initiative that evolved from a three-month weekend workshop which saw strong participation from students and scholars.

As part of the curriculum, students are also being introduced to the Urdu rendition of “Hai katha sangram ki”, the iconic title song from the Mahabharat television series, offering a cultural entry point into the epic tradition.

Dr Ali Usman Qasmi, Director of the Gurmani Centre at LUMS, told The Tribune that Pakistan possesses one of the region’s richest yet most overlooked Sanskrit archives, housed at the Punjab University library. “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 said.

The university plans to further expand its offerings with dedicated courses on the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita. “In 10-15 years, we could see Pakistan-based scholars of the Gita and the Mahabharata,” Dr Qasmi said.

The renewed academic interest has been driven in large part by the efforts of Dr Shahid Rasheed, Associate Professor of Sociology at Forman Christian College. Reflecting on his own journey, Dr Rasheed emphasised the broader value of classical languages. “Classical languages contain much wisdom for mankind.

I started with learning Arabic and Persian, and then studied Sanskrit,” he said. He added that he relied on online platforms for learning, studying under Cambridge Sanskrit scholar Antonia Ruppel and Australian Indologist McComas Taylor. “It took almost a year to cover classical Sanskrit grammar. And I'm still studying it.”

Dr Rasheed noted that his decision to study Sanskrit often invites questions. “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 expressed hope that greater engagement with shared classical traditions could foster regional harmony. “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.”