India, July 11 -- Dear Shri Mohan Bhagwat Ji,

I write this letter to you not just to congratulate you but also to reflect on an honest admission you made recently-an admission that, whether you realise it or not, lays bare some deep contradictions at the heart of our nation's current language policy.

While inaugurating a new building at the Kavi Kulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, you stated that it is not enough to simply understand Sanskrit; one must also be able to speak it. You further admitted, with rare candour, that despite your lifelong association with Sanskrit through the RSS-where even your designation 'Sarsanghchalak' is in Sanskrit-you cannot speak the language fluently. This struck me deeply.

Here is a leader who has spe...