A REPORT ON THE NATIONAL SEMINAR ON
PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OFSANSKRIT AND SAMSKRUTI
HELD ON SUNDAY 21 AUGUST 2016 IN KMIT, HYDERABAD
On 30 April 2016 a meeting was held in the residence of Mahamahopadhyaya Pujya Swami (Dr) Tattvavidananda Saraswati to review the existing situation of the state of Sanskrit language as well as the ancient Indian Samskruti including their denigration and vilification by American Indologists as highlighted in Rajiv Malhotra’s recent books on the subject. Dr. K. Aravinda Rao, Dr.T. S Ramakrishna, Dr.Korada Subrahmanyam, Dr. Sripada Subrahmanyam, Sri. A.H. Prabhakara Raoand Sri. O.V. Ramanayya participated in the meeting. All the participants felt unanimously that there was an urgent need to bring awareness among the public on the need to preserve and promote the ancient Indian culture and language. It was decided to hold a National Seminar for the Preservation and Promotion of Sanskrit and Samskruti. Swamiji has put the onus on Dr.T. S Ramakrishna who is the founder and secretary of the Earth-system Sciences Awareness and Research Association, popularly known as ESWARA, to be assisted by Sri. A.H. Prabhakara Raoand his team of Veda Samskruti samiti.
Subsequently, for a wider participation and a greater impact on the society it was decided to take more like minded voluntary organizations into the fold. One by one eleven more organizations have come forward to join the group which has come to be known as G 13 represented by
Keshav Memorial Educational Society Sura Bharati Samiti
SanskritAcademy Shri Veda Bharathi
Brahma Vidya KutirSamskrita Bharati
Veda Samskruti SamitiGitaSamskrutam
DarshanamSACRIFICE
Samskruta Bhasha Prachara SamitiI-SERVE and
ESWARA
(The founders/ present office bearers, objectives and activities of these associations can be found in the Souvenir).
The seminar was planned to be organized before Swamiji’s departure to USA on 21 August 2016. With Dr. Ramakrishna as the Convener and Coordinator of the seminar and Veda Samskruti Samiti as the nodal agency and Sri. O.V.Ramanyya as the Organizing Secreatry, preparations for the seminar have started vigorously. Meanwhile on a request, the Rashtriya Samskruta Samsthan has generously agreed to co sponsor the seminar.The seminar being of general nature intended for wider participation, the following themes were identified:
Sanskrit in History andChronology Sanskrit in Ayurveda, Nature Cure and Yoga
Sanskrit in Jyotisha, Kalpa etc Sanskrit in Rituals and Samskaras
Sanskrit in Music, Arts and Culture Sanskrit in Science and Engineering
Intellectual Property Rights for Sanskruti Promotion of Sanskrit and Samskruti
Sanskrit Studies outside India Rajiv Malhotra Works
Defamation of Sanskrit and Samskruti Sanskrit for Peace and Harmony
On the first of June 2016 the first circular was e mailed to hundreds of prospective participants with details of themes and inviting papers in Sanskrit, English, Hindi and Telugu for the seminar. This was followed by the dispatch of a colorful brochure giving a broad tentative program. A total of 63 papers were received in all the four languages covering most of the themes listed above.
The seminar started at 8.30am on the scheduled date of 21st August 2016 with Swamiji inaugurating and Prof. P.N.Shastri, Vice Chancellor of Rashtriya Samskrita samsthan, Minsitry of HRD, Govt, of India gracing as the Chief Guest. During the inauguration Swamiji released a booklet titled Samkshipta Gita authored by Dr. T.S.Ramakrishna. This was followed by Prof. Shastri releasing a very colorful Souvenir which contained individual brief on all the voluntary organizations as well as abstracts of all the 63 papers slated for presentation. This was followed by speeches by Swamiji as swell as Prof. Shastri both of whom have praised on the collective effort of so many organizations in conducting this unique National Seminar and the need to preserve and promote the language of Sanskrit and ancient Indian Samskruti which is rooted in that divine language.
Two parallel technical sessions were organized with Shri. O.Krupalu of Gitasamskrutam in charge of the auditorium where Sanskrit, Telugu and Hindi medium papers were presented and Dr.M.M.Rao of SACRIFICE in charge of Basement Hall where English medium papers were presented. A number of G 13 founders/heads/ and other scholars have chaired the technical sessions.
At the end of the technical sessions at 5.15pm a valedictory function was arranged which was presided over by Dr K.Aravinda Rao IPS (Retd.), with Justice L.Narasimha Reddy as the Chief Guest. Both the speakers have emphasized on the importance of preserving and promoting both the language of Sanskrit as well as the Samskruti which is inseparably linked with that language.
After the Valedictory function a beautiful Harikatha on Jagadguru Shri Adi Shankaracharya in Sanskrit byrenowned artiste Smt. D. Umamaheswari was arranged, which thrilled the audience.
Dr.T.S.Ramakrishna
Convener and Coordinator