Bridging Differences: Love and Hope in Sanskrit and Urdu
VIEW EVENT DETAILSSaturday, 1 February, Evening

اردو
संस्कृत
Sanskrit and Urdu have evolved with the South Asian sub-continent, meandering close and far from each other, for as long as we can remember. While Sanskrit is considered the oldest and purest Indian language, the truth is far murkier. Originating in the Northern Syrian kingdom of the Mitannis over 2500 years ago, it was migration that brought the language to the Indo-Gangetic plain, along with the associated culture and religion. As Hinduism grew on the continent, however, the Sanskrit language was soon used as a tool of suppression, and symbol of superiority; after all, it was only the upper caste Hindus (comprising less than 25% of India today) who were allowed to even hear the language being spoken, despite its roots as the language of charioteers.
Urdu, meanwhile, today considered by many to be the language of traders, invaders, and migrants, was actually native to the subcontinent. It was born in northern India during Mughal rule, which saw the language emerge out of Khadi Boli, a dialect, and Prakrit, the language of the common people. Together, with some influence from Persian, Turkish and Arabic, the Urdu of the Mughal era borrowed freely from, and just as easily lent vocabulary to its sister language, Sanskrit. Its association with Middle Eastern and Arab languages has led to its identity being transformed and its today considered a “Muslim” language - the religious connotations also leading to it being seen as that of the outsiders.
Today, Sanskrit and Urdu are often weaponised to push forth narratives of exclusivity, both religious, and socio-economic, as evidenced by the phenomena of Sanskritisation, and Ashrafisation. Yet, is there any scope for bridging the gaps between the two languages? What are the similarities between the two? From their history to the way Sanskrit and Urdu have evolved, what defines each language Sanskrit is spoken by less than 1% of the Indian population, while Urdu is slowly losing its speaking base - what must be done to preserve both languages, in a way that is honest to its origins?
Answering these questions will be Anusha Rao and Suhas Mahesh, authors of How to love in Sanskrit (2024). Through their book, they bring alive the ancient and sacred language to love poetry that feels present in its emotion, spanning dynasties and state boundaries. Challenging the idea of Sanskrit being a language of worship alone, they question how the language is used today, and how it can be transformed through its context. Joining Anusha and Suhas is Rakhshanda Jalil, whose book, Love in the Time of Hate (2024) uses Urdu poetry to highlight the need for religious tolerance, plurality, and political secularity. She draws on works spanning centuries and countries, to argue that rather than Urdu being solely for Muslims, the language can provide solutions to many issues faced by our world today - ranging from nationhood, to human rights, from protest, to religious tolerance. This conversation will be moderated by Supriya Nair, Godrej DEI Lab, and the co-founder of the media start-up All Things Small, who will act as moderator.
SPEAKERS

Anusha Rao is a scholar of Sanskrit and Indian religion who likes writing new things about very old things. Anusha is currently pursuing her PhD at the University of Toronto, where she works on the intersection of philosophy and poetry in early modern South India. She is a columnist for the Deccan Herald.

Suhas Mahesh is a scholar of Sanskrit and Prakrit with a terrible weakness for good verse, rare manuscripts and arcane grammar. A physicist by day, Suhas moonlights as a Sanskritist and is working on a translation of the novel Nilakanthavijaya for the Murty Library.

Dr Rakhshanda Jalil is a multi-award-winning translator, writer, and literary historian. She has published over 25 books and written over 50 academic papers and essays. Some of her books include: Liking Progress, Loving Change: A Literary History of the Progressive Writers Movement in Urdu (OUP, 2014); a biography of Urdu feminist writer Dr Rashid Jahan: A Rebel and her Cause (Women Unlimited, 2014); a translation of The Sea Lies Ahead, Intizar Husain's seminal novel on Karachi (Harper Collins, 2015) and Krishan Chandar's partition novel Ghaddar (Westland, 2017), among others. She runs an organization called Hindustani Awaaz, devoted to the popularization of Hindi-Urdu literature and culture.
Supriya Nair is a writer and editor from Mumbai. She is head, research and media, at the Godrej DEI Lab, and co-founder of the media start-up All Things Small. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, and Wisden.
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Event Details
David Sassoon Library Gardens, 52, Mahatma Gandhi Road, opposite Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai