In Tripura, Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu emphasized the importance of promoting Sanskrit during the closing program of a workshop on Pali Teaching and Literature at Central Sanskrit University. He highlighted the various career opportunities available for Sanskrit learners, including translation work, which has the potential to generate employment. The Governor also emphasized the significance of Pali as a language of Buddhist texts and called for all Higher Educational Institutions to adopt strategies for its promotion. Prof. Shrinivasa Varakhedi, Vice-Chancellor of Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi, expressed his belief that Sanskrit has the potential to become the language of Bharat (India) and that the Central Sanskrit University is dedicated to the local people of Tripura. He also noted that the Northeast region is a fertile ground for Buddhist philosophy and that the dissemination of Pali literature and philosophy will contribute to the welfare of human beings [f4588271].
While the focus on promoting Sanskrit in Tripura is significant, it is important to recognize the broader context of linguistic reconciliation in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, the government's recent announcement to establish a post-civil war reconciliation process has been met with skepticism. However, individuals are taking their own initiatives to address historic divisions through linguistic reconciliation. Language has played a crucial role in Sri Lanka, with the policy of making Sinhala the sole official language having a negative impact on minority languages, particularly Tamil. In this context of public distrust, people are stepping forward to address past injustices. A Tamil language school was established in 2019 with the aim of teaching Tamil as a second language to adults. The school has attracted over 250 students from both sides of the ethnic divide. These students are motivated by the goals of reconciliation and linguistic justice. They want to learn Tamil to build trust, communicate with their in-laws, and promote linguistic equality and social inclusion. This grassroots effort demonstrates that transitional justice is already taking place on the ground, independent of the state's reconciliation process [6be2c281].
These individual initiatives highlight the importance of language in the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka. By promoting linguistic equality and social inclusion, these efforts contribute to bridging historic divisions and building trust between communities. The establishment of the Tamil language school serves as a tangible example of how individuals are taking action to address past injustices and work towards a more inclusive and reconciled society.
In a different context, five Syracuse University students have been selected as recipients of the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS). The recipients and the languages they will study are: Christian Bevilacqua ā24, studying Urdu; Kathryn Bratt-Pfotenhauer Gā24, studying Russian; Anthony Ornelaz Gā24, studying Turkish; Chelsea Sato, studying Korean; and Ciara Young ā24, studying Korean. The CLS program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American graduate and undergraduate students. The program is fully funded and includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences. The CLS program is part of a wider government initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity. Christian Bevilacqua will study Urdu in Lucknow, India. This is his second time participating in the CLS program; he studied Hindi in Jaipur, India, in 2022. Kathryn Bratt-Pfotenhauer hopes to gain a more complete view of Central Asia through her studies in Kyrgyzstan and a better understanding of how the Russian language operates in a country that was once part of the Soviet Union. Anthony Ornelaz, a U.S. Air Force veteran and 2022 Tillman Scholar, served in the Middle East nearly a decade ago. He hopes to translate Turkish poetry into English while studying the Turkish poetic style. Ciara Young has maintained a deep commitment to the study of Korean language and affairs. She plans to apply the linguistic and cultural insights she gains to enhance her research pursuits and language studies in graduate school, focusing on foreign policy, security studies, and issues that impact U.S.-Korean relations [a9a60473].