How this madrassa is setting an example of communal harmony by teaching Sanskrit to students

Thrissur: An Islamic institute in Kerala has set the example of communal harmony by teaching Sanskrit to its students.

The objective behind teaching Sanskrit, Upanishads, Puranas, etc. is to raise awareness about other religions, Onampilly Muhammad Faizy, the principal of the Academy of Sharia and Advanced Studies (ASAS) run by Malik Deenar Islamic Complex (MIC), said.

Another reason, and the main one, for teaching Sanskrit to the students at MIC ASAS was Faizy’s academic background as he had studied Shankara philosophy.

“Therefore, I felt that students should know about other religions and their customs and practices. But an in-depth study of Sanskrit as well as the ‘Upanishads’, ‘shastras’, ‘vedantams’ would not be possible during the eight-year study period,” he told a news agency.

“Instead, the idea is to provide basic knowledge about these and create an awareness in them about another religion,” Faizy said.

Important portions of the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Mahabharata, and Ramayana are selectively taught in Sanskrit to the students over eight years after they pass out of Class 10, he said.

The selective teaching of these texts is because the institution is primarily a Sharia college where other languages, like Urdu and English, are also taught besides a degree course in Arts as it is affiliated with Calicut University.

“The academic workload is huge. Therefore, we take in students who can handle it and also maintain strict standards. There is an entrance exam for admitting students,” he said.

Some of the students recently told the media that initially, it was tough to learn Sanskrit, just like Arabic, but by continuously studying and practicing, it becomes easier over time.

“It is a tough task initially. Just like Arabic. But if we study it continuously, and repeatedly practice it, just like with Arabic, it becomes easier over some time. The regular classes and the tests also help us to learn it,” one of the students said.

Another student said he was excited to learn Sanskrit and hear the ‘slokas’.

Just like his classmate, he too was of the view that like Arabic, “if you put in the effort, it becomes easier to learn”.

While there has been no objection from the parents of the students or anyone else, a major challenge has been finding good faculty to teach Sanskrit, the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, etc., properly to the students.

“That is why we were able to start teaching Sanskrit just seven years ago and it is also the reason that it is being taught only at this branch — one of seven,” principal Faizy said.

The response from the side of the students too has been encouraging as they have shown an interest in learning Sanskrit, the principal added.

One of the faculty, professor K K Yatheendran, told the media when he was invited to teach there, Faizy “was concerned whether I would have reservations about teaching in an Arabic institution as I was a Hindu”.

“I said there is no Hindu or Muslim issue here. I am coming there ready to teach. So, I have no such reservations,” he told the media.