Expressing concern over the lack of opportunities for Telugus in Tamil Nadu to learn their mother tongue, Assembly Deputy Speaker Mandali Buddha Prasad on Friday urged the Centre to intervene in the matter.
“The Centre cannot remain a mute spectator to the denial of rights of linguistic minorities in the neighbouring State to pursue studies in their mother tongue,” he said while inaugurating the three-day Telugu Writers’ Conference. Prakasam District Rachayuthula Sangam President B. Hanuma Reddy presided over the function.
“Thanks to the two-language policy followed by the Tamil Nadu government, Telugus in that State, the second largest linguistic community after Tamils, are not in a position to write exams in their mother tongue,” he said, adding that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who had written to his Tamil Nadu counterpart J. Jayalalithaa in this regard, had received a “lukewarm response” from the latter. It was Telugus who were a majority once in Chennapatnam (now Chennai), he recalled.
“The responsibility of protecting and promoting all officially-recognised languages is that of the Centre. A real tribute to Constitution architect B.R. Ambedkar, a strong advocate of linguistic States, can be paid only by doing this,” he added.
Telugu should be declared the second official language in Tamil Nadu as well as Karnataka where Telugu-speaking people formed the second largest linguistic community, Mr. Buddha Prasad said, adding that though Telugu had been declared a classical language close on the heels of Tamil getting the status, enough funds had not been spent on nurturing it. “It is unfortunate that funds earmarked for the purpose to the Central Institute of Indian Languages in Mysuru is going unutilised year after year,” he said.
He observed that “despite the glorious past, the classical language will not have a future if members of GenX do not develop interest in learning the mother tongue.” He also underscored the need for making compulsory learning of Telugu from KG to UG in the State.
Telugu Logili , a compilation of articles by 100 Telugu writers, both present and past, was released in memory of slain MP Magunta Subbirami Reddy, by Prof. Kolakaluri Enoch, former Vice-Chancellor of Sri Venkateswara University. Speaking on the occasion, Transport Minister Sidda Raghava Rao promised all financial support to litterateurs in publishing their books.
Rendition of Ghazals in Telugu by Ghazal Srinivas hogged the limelight.
Centre cannot remain a mute spectator to the denial of rights of linguistic minorities in Tamil Nadu, says Mandali
