Grants for Sanskrit awards stalled for 9 years – ‘Surajya Abhiyan’ demands action from the Governor

Allocation of Rs. 32 crores for promoting Urdu language, but why ignore Sanskrit?

Since 2015, the state government has not provided any grants for the ‘Mahakavi Kalidas Sanskrit Sadhana’ award. During the period from 2015 to 2021, the ‘Kavi Kalidas Sanskrit University’ had to bear the expenses for this award from its own funds. Despite multiple follow-ups, the state government has yet to reimburse the university the amount of Rs. 18,17,958 spent for this purpose. In stark contrast, the state government has granted Rs. 32,29,15,000 on the promotion of the Urdu language over the last 9 years, yet has failed to allocate even Rs. 1,50,000 required for Sanskrit language awards. This neglect and discrimination against Sanskrit have raised concerns. On the occasion of Sanskrit Day, August 19th, Shri. Abhishek Murukate, Maharashtra Coordinator of Surajya Abhiyan, has sent a letter to the Chancellor of Universities and Governor of Maharashtra, Mr. C.P. Radhakrishnan, urging the government to address this disparity and take immediate action.

The ‘Mahakavi Kalidas Sanskrit Sadhana’ award is presented by the Government of Maharashtra to individuals who have made significant contributions to the promotion, dissemination, research, publishing, and teaching of the Sanskrit language. This award honors ancient Sanskrit scholars, Vedamurtis, Sanskrit teachers, professors, and activists, with 8 recipients each receiving Rs. 25,000. However, despite the importance of this award, the government has not increased the award amount in the past 12 years. In contrast, the government allocates billions of rupees annually as subsidies for the Urdu language. This disparity raises questions of discrimination against Sanskrit. Kavi Kalidas Sanskrit University has repeatedly contacted the government through letters and phone calls to secure the overdue grant, with Surajya Abhiyan also persistently following up on the matter. Despite these efforts, there has been no response from the government. As a result, Surajya Abhiyan has decided to escalate the issue by sending a letter to the Governor, according to Shri. Abhishek Murukate.

In the past 12 years, not a single ‘Mahakavi Kalidas Sanskrit Sadhana’ award has been conferred on Sanskrit Day!

The ‘Mahakavi Kalidas Sanskrit Sadhana Puraskar’ is intended to be awarded on ‘Sanskrit Day,’ also known as ‘Narli Poornima,’ as per the government order (GR) issued by the Department of Higher and Technical Education, Government of Maharashtra in 2012. However, since 2013, the award has not been presented on Sanskrit Day even once. Instead, the awards from the years 2015 to 2021 were collectively distributed in 2021, highlighting a significant delay and disregard for the intended annual recognition of contributions to the Sanskrit language.

The Sanskrit language has enriched not just India but the entire world with its profound contributions to spirituality, culture, ayurveda, literature, and art. In recognition of this invaluable heritage, the government should consider a respectful increase in the awards dedicated to the Sanskrit language. Additionally, it is imperative that these awards are given within the scheduled time. The ‘Surajya Abhiyan’ has formally requested the Governor to take necessary action in this regard.