RSS-Linked Group to Host 1,008 'Sanskrit Conversation Camps' in Delhi

In what it calls a "cultural renaissance," the RSS-linked body Sanskrit Bharati will organize 1,008 free 'Sanskrit conversation camps' in association with the Delhi Sanskrit Academy across the Capital, an effort that has been welcomed by the BJP government.

Sources confirm that the camps will take place at 58 colleges in Delhi University and at least two campuses on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus, with local madrasas also likely to be included as centers for the 'Sanskrit Sambhashan Shivir Abhiyan,' which will run from April 23 to May 3. Although Sanskrit Bharati has been working in the Capital since the mid-1990s, this is the first time such a big program is being launched in the city.

The effort is designed to bring Sanskrit back into the mainstream, providing every participant with 20 hours of conversation practice—two hours a day for ten days. Besides practical Sanskrit, the camps will also impart Indian values, ethics, family dynamics, and societal beliefs through the language.

These camps, free for all—even those not literate—are being organized at common spaces within community like RWA complexes, ashrams, dharamshalas, temples of Arya Samaj, temples of Sanatan Dharma, and gurukuls.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to be present at the closing event at the auditorium of the Delhi University. BJP MP from North East Delhi Manoj Tiwari and Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra were present during a press conference on Wednesday to mark the launch of the initiative.

Tiwari said, "We have witnessed many 'Learn English' movements, but we are seeing for the first time such a big 'Learn Sanskrit' movement.". Sanskrit is a medium to connect with our culture—it is not hard; it is ancient and contemporary." Mishra spoke of pride in the Delhi government's initiative, calling upon all citizens to participate in this historic cultural movement, stressing that it is not just a chance to learn a language but an opportunity to connect with one's roots.

Jayprakash Gautam, Akhil Bharatiya Sangathan Mantri of Sanskrit Bharati, said, "Sanskrit is easy and available to everyone. It must be a people's language, because it is the mother of all Indian languages."