Besides adorning the State with brick-and-mortar structures of international standards, the government is taking all care to sustain and promote in a big way the rich culture and tradition Andhra Pradesh is endowed with.
Promotion of Telugu language and culture has been a priority area for the government after bifurcation, and constitution of the Telugu Language Development Committee (TLDC) was the first step in this direction.
Now, based on the recommendations of the committee, decks are being cleared for establishing seven academies for equal development of the wide-ranging art forms of Andhra Pradesh. They are, Sahitya Akademi, Sangeeta-Nrutya Academi, Nataka Academi, Drushya Kalala Academi, Folk and Creativity Academi, History Academi, and Science and Technology Academi.
The Sahitya Akademi will focus on recognising and encouraging various dialects of Telugu language and take steps for their preservation to posterity.
“It would also shoulder the responsibility of publishing Telugu dictionaries to various languages and publish Telugu lexicon, thesaurus, encyclopaedia, and other information banks in Telugu,” says D. Vizai Bhaskar, Director of the Department of Language and Culture.
The Sangeeta-Nrutya Academi would preserve and promote local forms such as Kuchipudi, Andhra Natyam, Aalaya Nrityam, Jalari Nrityam, and Devadasi Nrityam, besides folk forms such as Dhimsa, Savara, Gadaba, Koya, and Lambadi.
‘Padya natakam’
Mr. Bhaskar says the Nataka Akademi would give the much-needed thrust to ‘padya natakam’, Yakshagana, and ‘veedhi Bhagvatham’, in addition to traditional theatre forms, in order to restore their past glory.
“Padya natakam is a very popular traditional art form of Andhra Pradesh. Even a shepherd, while tending cattle, used to sing padyams. But ‘padya natakam’ cannot address the current social problems; for that, we will need a modern theatre form,” he says.
The Drushya Kalala (fine arts) Academi will address issues relating to heritage of Telugu people. It will encourage and promote study and research in the fields of fine arts such as painting, sculpture, and graphics, besides other forms like stone sculptures, wood carvings, metal sculptures; handicrafts like Kalamkari and the world famous toys from Kondapalli and Etikoppaka.
The Folk and Creativity Akademi will promote forms like ‘dappulu’, ‘tappetagullu’, ‘garagalu’ and documents rural folk arts such as village arts, carpentry, pottery, blacksmith, basket-making and weaving.
Dividing the history of the State into timelines and conducting research studies on the history of Andhra Pradesh is what the History Academi would do. It would dig out the hidden facts relating to cultural heritage of various regions of Andhra Pradesh.
The Science and Technology Academi will foster scientific temper among children and youth, generating an environment of innovation and technology and propagate scientific knowledge through lectures, seminars, symposia, tours and excursions, exhibition and distribution of books on popular sciences.
Each of these institutions will have a chairman, a secretary, and 11 members, among whom a vice-chairman will be nominated.
