Sanskrit should be India's National Language: Sonam Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali Angmo

Sonam Wangchuk's wife says India's ancient knowledge systems deserve greater recognition and funding in higher education.

In Short

• Angmo framed dharma as an ethical lens shaping governance in India
• She questioned whether state and religion can be meaningfully separated
• Ancient Sanskrit texts, she said, recorded scientific ideas before Western recognition

Should India's universities do more to promote the study of Hindu philosophy and traditional knowledge systems? That was the question educationist Gitanjali Angmo, wife of education reformer Sonam Wangchuk, posed in an old video conversation with BJP leader Subramanian Swamy.

This is not the first time Angmo has spoken publicly about Sanatana Dharma. In a series of posts on X between July 25 and 27, she weighed in on the intersections of Sanatana Dharma, politics, and nationalism, triggering widespread discussion online. "If anyone has shown what it means for India to be a Vishwaguru, it is our Gen Z," she wrote in one of the posts.

Drawing on India's civilisational heritage, Angmo argued that the country's ancient philosophical traditions and classical texts continue to hold enduring relevance. She maintained that these knowledge systems deserve the same academic recognition and rigorous study as other established disciplines in higher education.

'CAN STATE AND DHARMA REALLY BE SEPARATED?'

Speaking in the video, Gitanjali Angmo began by invoking India's philosophical traditions, arguing that governance in Indian civilisation has historically been guided by the principles of dharma.

"In India, we speak of the Raja Rishi and the Philosopher King. Every aspect of life is governed by dharma. So how can we keep the state and religion apart?" she asked.

Her remarks sought to distinguish dharma as an ethical and civilisational framework rather than merely a religious concept.

Angmo also argued that several scientific ideas were documented in Indian texts long before they were formally recognised in the West.

Citing an ancient Sanskrit verse, she said Indian sages had described the speed of light centuries before modern scientists calculated it.

She also referred to the Sulbha Sutra by Baudhayana, claiming it contained the mathematical principle later associated with the Pythagorean theorem.

According to Angmo, such examples highlight the need to study India's knowledge traditions more seriously rather than treating them as mythology or folklore.

A QUESTION OF FUNDING

One of her strongest observations was about the way different academic disciplines are funded.

Angmo said centres dedicated to Islamic Studies and Chinese Studies receive significantly greater financial support than Centres for Hindu Studies.

"People shy away from funding Hindu Studies. I don't know why," she remarked, questioning why research on India's own intellectual traditions often receives less attention.

Her comments touched upon a larger debate over whether Indian universities should invest more in research on indigenous philosophies, languages and classical texts.

GITANJALI ANGMO EDUCATION BACKGROUND

Dr. Gitanjali J. Angmo is an educationist and social entrepreneur with a bachelor's degree in Physics from Fakir Mohan University, an MBA from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, and a doctorate in Education from Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence.

She is the Founder and Dean of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL).

During the Jantar Mantar protest, she actively supported the students and stood by her husband throughout his hunger strike, emerging as a prominent voice in the movement.

On July 26, she also quoted nationalist leader and freedom fighter Aurobindo Ghosh to respond to her critics on X. "When it is said that India shall rise, it is the Sanatana Dharma that shall rise. India is rising for the sake of the Sanatana Dharma," she wrote, citing Ghosh.

Supporters argue that India's ancient intellectual traditions deserve greater academic engagement and international recognition. Critics, however, caution that such studies must maintain rigorous academic standards and distinguish historical evidence from cultural belief.

Angmo's remarks are likely to add to the ongoing conversation on how India balances the study of its civilisational heritage with modern academic research, and whether universities should expand support for Hindu Studies as part of that effort.

- Ends