BIRATNAGAR, Dec 15: Samsil Mahamad two years ago passed SLC in first division for which his covetous 70 marks in Sanskrit contributed significantly. Now he is doing his +2 in education faculty at Adarsha Higher Secondary School in Biratnagar. [break]
"My family had pressed me to study Kuran but intense interest in Sanskrit led me to take on education," he said. "Initially I found it hard to pronounce Sanskrit. However, I am now quite used to."
Gyatri Sanskrit Secondary School, where Samsud studied himself, at Saraswoti Tole has now 24 Muslim students studying Sanskrit.
The school has been witnessing an increased flow of students from Muslim community to study Sanskrit. The 12-year-old Subeda Khatun of class six received this scribe there on Monday, saying ´Bhabanatam Atra Swagatam Bartate´--you are welcome. "Though I am from Muslim Community, I feel comfortable to understand studying in Sanskrit," she said.
The school, which stipulates Sanskrit as a compulsory subject, acquires students from a wide range of communities like Muslim, Tharu, Rajbanshi, Khatwae, Paswan, Magar and Tamang in contrary to a general trend of only Brahmins following this ancient language of eastern civilization. "Brahmins and Chhetris rather do not seem to prefer studying Sanskrit," said Kishor Acharya, a teacher at the school.
For Chakrapani Upadhya, a Sanskrit teacher, it is a matter of gratification that Muslim families readily send their children to study something beyond their religious sphere.
Sanskrit covers 150 full marks under two titles--linguistics and grammar-- in lower secondary level and 200 marks for secondary level of which the 100 mark Sanskrit Literature is an option.