South Asian languages have been devastated through Anglicization. There was a zeal by the Jesuit priests to "educate" the natives and the part of the education was to replace the native language by English. It is a subtle cultural invasion perpetrated to impose "modernity" among the natives. Most parts of the modern linguistics are developed to demonstrate the teaching of English. In this process, a language is "learned" than a language is "spoken." The beauty of natural expression as done in one's language is lost in the process. My expressive capacity of use of words and expressions would be very different had I been writing these notes in my native language Oriya. We resort to English for larger dissemination at the cost of reduced literary capacity. Part of homogenization through English is the mapping of native phonetic sounds to English alphabet, which is not phonetic. Strange constructs emerge and stranger sounds evolve through rendering these new constructs. The native melody and sweetness get replaced by mechanical expressions which are rendered through artificial accents. While I am happy that I can read somebody's name, I have little idea that the person doesn't like how I am expressing it. Lately the baby names are arbitrarily distorted to facilitate an English rendering. I am not sure if this is the right direction for the human civilization.
Her Royal Highness Maha Chakri Sirindhorn would be inaugurating the Conference at 9 AM. I have been bothered to find the word hidden in "Sirindhorn". It must be connected to a good Thai word that her parents and the priests had selected. The Thai word might have origin in Sanskrit. I can guess, but nobody wants to discuss. To discuss "royal" matters in public is an offense. The Royal Highness is a frozen unit however distorted. It is the new order in the world.
I put on a dhoti and a kurta to show my protocol of respect to the event inauguration. We were shuttled in and were told that we must not move around and must be in respectful mood to receive the Princess. The Princess did enter the Ballroom at the appointed time accompanied by a coterie of associates, both male and female She was graceful and reserved. She took her seat on the special chair at the dais. She made a short speech with occasional Sanskrit quotes and "had the pleasure" of declaring the Conference "open." A scholar cannot operate unless there is peace in the land, the King provides the security to help generate creativity.
Sushma Swaraj, the Minister of External affairs in Indian cabinet, read a well-written Sanskrit speech. The Ministry was putting up good resources for the Conference. The massive contingent of "free" delegates from India was most likely a political move. The Government of India seems to have good intent, but it lacks "leaders" to reach out to the public. Some self-appointed individuals appeared to operate as convenient conduits of funding.
The morning session ended with a keynote speech by Prof. J. L. Brockington of University of Edinburgh with a lecture title "Rama's travels eastwards". The topic is of sociological interest and possibly has anthropological value. It was more of an observation on the story than the analysis of the literary content. I was not very impressed with the "keynote", which could have been used to highlight the state of Sanskrit in the world in its use, applications, research and scholarship. But the speech possibly had relevance to the royalty and to the popular local legends.
