Coinciding Sanskrit-German row German ambassador in India Michael Steiner is attempting to diplomatically resolve the issue, by showcasing the compatibility and proximity of Indian and German culture, by celebrating his birthday in the company of HRD Minister Smiriti Irani.
Also, instead of champagne jazzy celebrations, he will hold Satsang session in the Embassy blessed by spiritual Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Steiner and Irani had a face off two weeks ago, when HRD Ministry decided to discontinue teaching German as a third language in the KVS. Instead the ministry has decided to teach German as a foreign language or a hobby and Sanskrit as the third language. The MoU between India and Germany on teaching German as a third language was not renewed by the ministry.
By making an announcement of celebrating his birthday the Indian way, German ambassador has made an effort to show his proximity with Sanskrit. The ambassador however disagrees to call it a planned effort and said that his association with Sri Sri has been older than the current government. "I have met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on three occasions. In February when my wife Eliese and I visited him at his Bengaluru ashram, we invited him over. My invitation to him is older than this government," said the ambassador. Steiner has been in India for two and a half years now. This is however the first time that he has decided to celebrate his birthday as a spiritual meet.
While teaching German as a third language has been called off by the ministry, Steiner is hopeful that prime minister's intervention will bring fruitful results. "After PM Modi's meeting with Chancellor
Angela Merkel, I am confident that we will reach a practical and good solution," he added. Modi had met Merkel in Australia on the sidelines of G2O Summit.
Interestingly the most learned Sanskrit scholar of Europe, Max Muller was a German, who has to him the credit of taking the Indian language to the European world.
Without naming Indian ideologs or fundamentalists Steiner said, "Even in times of globalisation, tendencies towards fragmentation and fault lines exists. Spirituality can teach you to move against these tendencies," added the ambassadors.
