College Monitor Govt Sanskrit college is totally neglected by the Government, Local Media say Union Members
From left- Sajeev,Shibu,reji, Rajiv,Vinod,Santhosh, Ramkumar,Sharath and Chitra Govt Sanskrit College, Thiruvananthapuram Union Members -KM Photo by R S Priya.(keralamonitor.com) More
Thiruvananthapuram Oct 31: The Government Sanskrit college situated in the central point of the city is one of the most neglected government colleges in the state. As most of the students in the college are not economically well off, no one is coming forward to tap the talented students or give them any kind of encouragement.
When the Antony Government and the UDF constituents are going out of their way to promote private engineering and medical colleges and fully commercialise the education sector, the pathetic situation of government colleges in the sate is self revealing. All over the world education is an area, which is not fully commercialized. However, the government of the most literate state in India is shamelessly and systematically destroying the educational institutions created over a long period as part of a popular upheaval in the past. Compared to a period when education was restricted to a few prominent classes and castes, the state witnessed dramatic improvement in education field - something which provided basic skills to the vast majority of people in the state to seek employment outside the state and abroad.
Even international development economists have commented positively about the overall development witnessed in the state and education has played the key role in this development model. However, there seems to be a consensus among some politicians and their cronies to systematically eliminate such a public educational infrastructure and hand over the same in a platter to the private sector. Both the Central and State Governments are following a perverted economic policy to discourage public establishments and promote privatisation.
The Sanskrit college in Thiruvananthapuram is not located far away from the Secretariat. The BJP Government at New Delhi, which sheds a lot of crocodile tear about reviving Indian tradition and Hindutva is also to be blamed partly for cutting subsidy to the education sector. The problems facing Sanskrit Government College is only a reflection of the step motherly treatment of the Central and State Governments towards the public education sector and the continuing policy of encouraging profit motivated market or mark based education system which may not be good for a value based education system. The governments pretend as if they dont know the problems facing such public educational institutions and covertly encourage the private sector to set up profit motivated schools and colleges all over the state.
Red Politics dominate Sanskrit College as ABVP yet to make inroads
The College politics is dominated by the red radicals of Student Federation of India (SFI), student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and like the Government Arts College featured by KM last month, there is only one party in the college.
The College is quite active in National Service Scheme (N.S.S) activities. Many of the students donate blood and participate in social activities like cleaning up roads and take part in NSS camps in large numbers. There are mainly 5 sections in the Sanskrit college, which include Sanskrit (Vedantam), Sanskrit (Jyothisham), Sanskrit (Nyayam), Sanskrit (Sahityam) and Sanskrit (Vyakaranam). The college has around 500 students who are mostly active supporters of the SFI and take part in political activities. Even though Sanskrit is associated with the traditional Hindu religion, religious political parties like the ABVP could not make much in roads into the college.
Chairman Ram Kumar
The college chairman Ram Kumar did his schooling at Victory Boys School, Nemom and also studied Electronic Engineering. His family comprises of his parents and a younger brother. He plays cricket and is quite interested in Sports activities. He is presently doing Final Year Degree in Sanskrit (Nyayam). When asked about the importance of taking Sanskrit as a subject for the degree course, Ram said that other than entering teaching profession, a Sanskrit graduate can take up law also. Students can branch out into different fields and many do take up law after completing the course. He added that there is only one school for Sanskrit, which is at Chalai and there is no Sanskrit course for plus two colleges.
"Those who take up Sanskrit in schools are not able to continue it in Plus Two because of this and they have to take up other pre-degree courses. There is a great demand for the inclusion of Sanskrit in plus two, so that the Sanskrit students can complete the language study without any break. He said that those who study Sanskrit from the college need not go for professional teachers training courses like B.Ed or T.T.C to take up teaching profession in Sanskrit.
Chithra says Sanskrit important for Ayurveda Studies and Law
Chithra (Second year M.A. in Sanskrit (Vedantam) did her schooling at Venjaramoodu Higher Secondary School. She is quite interested in dance and music and also participates in dramas and skits. She is also quite good at writing poetry. Chithra is very eloquent when she speaks about the Sanskrit language. According to her, Teaching and Ayurveda are the two main fields into which the students who complete the course can venture forth. She feels that there is a general negligence towards Sanskrit as a language. Most of the students take up other courses and don't try to learn Sanskrit - one of the most ancient languages in India. It may be noted that all over the world there is keen interest in Ayurveda, the century old medicinal system of Kerala. Many of the traditional manuscripts about Ayurveda and other medicinal system is written in Sanskrit Thali Ola (Palm Trees), written centuries ago when there was no printing press. While western pharmaceutical giants are keenly searching for such information contained in the traditional knowledge treasure house and get patent right for such medicines, our Government is totally neglecting Sanskrit. Many Ayurveda researchers learn Sanskrit to extract information from the Thali Olas.
"One of the main of reasons of this could be the general misconception of the people that Sanskrit doesn't help students progress professionally. When lots of students flood to other courses there is no importance given to courses for ancient languages like Sanskrit," she said. Chithra also spoke of short-term course for students who would like to study Sanskrit without joining degree courses in the college. There is a 3 months Jyothisham (astrology) class for students outside the college.
Shibulal and Sharth
The General Secretary of the College Union Shibulal.T.R (Final year in B.A. Sanskrit (Jyothisham) studied in Govt. Model H.S. and also studied in I.T.I. He did his predegree in Sanskrit college His family comprises of his parents and an elder sister. He is quite interested in sports and has won third prize in Shuttle at the State level. He is active in the college political activities.
Sharath. B.S , the Arts Secretary of the College is a Final year B.A. (Vedantam) student. His family consists of parents, elder brother and sister and an younger brother. He did his schooling at Krishnapuram H.S. and pre degree privately. He is interested in sports, dance and music. He participates in skits in the college programmes. He said that the choice of the Union members in the college by the party is based on their work.
Santhosh Gopan, Young Editor
The Magazine Editor of the College, Santhosh Gopan is doing second year B.A Sanskrit (Jyothisham). His family comprises of his parents and a younger sister. Santhosh did his schooling at Central School and pre degree at Arts College, TVM. He is quite interested in his studies and in SFI party activities. He writes poetry and stories and also participates in drama.
The Committee members of the college are Vinod and Rajiv. Vinod's family comprises of his parents and a sister. He belongs to Neyyatinkara and did his schooling at the Higher secondary school there. He did his pre degree at Christian College, Kattakada. Vinod is presently doing Second Year B.A. Sanskrit (Nyayam). He likes to dance for which he won several prizes. He is also a good violinist and guitarist. Vinod said he has won first prize in state level gymnastics and loves adventure sports, especially swimming.
Rajiv.B did his schooling at Model School, Chalai and his predegree in a private college and at Attingal college. He is presently doing Degree IInd year B.A. Sanskrit (Jyothisham). Staying at Manacaud his family comprises of his parents, a younger sister and younger brother. He is very much interested in sports, especially cricket. He went for mime at University level and won several certificates for cricket at School level. He is quite interested in taking up L.L.B and plans to become a lawyer.
Sports Committee, Vedantha Association
The Sports Secretary of the college, Sajeev.S.A, did his schooling at Poovachal and also did I.T.I Civil. He did his pre-degree at Christian College, Kattakada. His family comprises of parents and elder brother and sister. He is an artist who has participated in numerous painting competitions. He is also greatly interested in Sports and complains that there is no proper coach in the college. "There are a number of students who are very much interested in sports activities and yet there has been no move from the government to provide enough fund or proper coaches for sports. There is no fund allotted for sports by the government and most of the students have to get trained on their own," he says. There was National Cadets Corps (NCC), when pre-degree was there. But now N.C.C, a common student activity in most of the colleges, is removed from the Sanskrit college. For many sports competitions, students go for tournaments without any proper coaches to give them training or guidance.
Reji Kumar .M.P, the Vedanta Association committee member, belongs to a family consisting of his parents and an elder sister from Puliyarakkonam. He did his schooling at St.Xavier's, Pallimukku. His main interest is sports - he got many prizes for short put and javelin throw. He also plays cricket and is also a good dancer. He won many prizes at school level in dance and also in N.C.C. He plans to do management after his degree course in Sanskrit.
No Rough Ragging Mathrukam for Woman's Right
All of the union members are very much interested in the SFI activities. When asked about ragging in the college, they unanimously opined that, though there is ragging in the college, it is of a milder kind and not to hurt their juniors. All of the students in the college share an intimate relationship. All the students and teachers share a bond of love and intimacy. They feel that languages, especially Sanskrit which is an important language must be given more importance. In most of the other states, Sanskrit is given great importance. But in Kerala, which is much advanced in literature and education, Sanskrit is facing total negligence.
Among the important units in the college are the N.S.S unit and 'Maathrukam'- a group formed for the women in the college. The group finds out talented students in the college and tries to solve various problems faced by women. Union members feel that in spite of being active participants in social activities of N.S.S or blood donation, more than any other college, students of Sanskrit College are not given much coverage by local media. "Not only the government, the Media is also neglecting us. There is no proper fund for sports and arts activities. Many of the buildings in the college campus are in bad condition and yet there is no move from government to do any kind of maintenance work. There is no proper computer facility for degree students in the college. The computer access in the college is mainly to teachers and M.A. students," they said.
Syndicate for, Government against Malayalam
Union members also complained that even though the syndicate permitted the starting of Malayalam as a main group in the college, Government has not yet approved it. There has been no move from government's side to implement the Syndicate decision. By starting Malayalam as a main group in the college, many more students would join the college and there would be a corresponding increase in the number of students in the college. May be the Government is waiting for a private party to come up with Malayalam and Sanskrit course too!
There is also a general complaint from the union members that there is no M.A. course in Sanskrit (Jyothisham) in the college. Those who wish to do M.A. course in Sanskrit (Jyothisham) would have to go to Thirupathy. This has put the students in a difficult situation. Union members also unanimously opined that there should be Sanskrit group at Plus two level, so that students can continue from Sanskrit school to join Sanskrit college without any break in between.
Kerala Media Neglect Sanskrit College
All the Union members generally opined that though there are a large number of talented students in the college, all local media is neglecting their college activities. "Media seldom note or consider the Sanskrit college at par with other colleges in the city. Though most of the students there would like to get more media exposure, there is total negligence on the part of local media. Union members also expressed the hope that their college would also be given proper attention by the government and media. They all appreciated the fact that Keralamonitor.com has shown some interest in their college activities.- Keralamonitor.com
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