The World Telugu Conference-2017 (WTC) got off to an inspiring start here on Friday with the clarion call given by eminent Telugu personalities- Vice President M.Venkaiah Naidu and Telangana Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao- to Telugus around the world to give pride of place to their mother tongue.
Mr.Venkaiah Naidu who was the chief guest at the impressive inaugural of the five-day conference appreciated Mr.Chandrasekhar Rao for resolving to bring past glory to Telugu language by organising the WTC in a grand manner on a much bigger scale than the first WTC organised in Hyderabad by the then Chief Minister Jalagam Vengal Rao in 1975.
“Mr.Chandrasekhar Rao’s love for Telugu and his command over the prose and poetry is a well acknowledged fact and it was befitting that the WTC was being organised under his able leadership. It was heartening that the Telugu luminaries of all periods, ancient to the modern era, and of all regions who enriched the Telugu language in its various literary forms were commemorated,” he said.
Emphasising the role of language in human relations, Mr.Venkaiah Naidu said that the dialects of a language might be different but they all were like jewels in the language of Telugu. Only when language flourished, the culture and traditions of a community would sustain and one could not separate language from its society. People, government and media should work together to bring prominence to one’s mother tongue. Unfortunately, even though British had left the country, people still gave prominence to English language, he noted. Deploring the misconception among Telugu people that English medium education alone would help one rise to better positions in life, Mr. Naidu cited the example of his own life and Mr.Chandrasekhar Rao and A.P. Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu. “All of us studied in Telugu medium”, he said.
Earlier, the Chief Minister paying glowing tributes to Telangana poets and writers like Palkuriki Somana, Bammera Pothana to Kaloji Narayana and C.Narayana Reddy, spoke about the greatness of Telugu which lent itself admirably to any literary form. Telangana land was the treasure trove of rich literature, he said and added that Telugu pundits had great responsibility to promote the language and encourage students to excel in it.
Mr.Rao who felicitated his teacher Mruthyunjaya Sharma said his mastery over Telugu was thanks to his teacher who taught him with great interest. He promised that his government would address the problems of Telugu pundits within a week.
Maharashtra Governor Ch.Vidyasagar Rao, AP and Telangana Governor E.S.L.Narasimhan, MP Asaduddin Owaisi spoke in Telugu and extended their greetings for the success of WTC.
