Mother tongue faces many challenges in this age of Internet; there is a need to scale up awareness on itsprotection and promotion, said Mandali Buddha Prasad, Deputy Speaker in Andhra Pradesh Assembly, here on Sunday.
He was addressing the inaugural meeting of a two-day North-East and Southern Writers’ Meet, organised here by the Sahitya Akademi.
Mr. Buddha Prasad said such platforms would help writers exchange experiences and ideas. “Literature is crucial and it enriches lives,” he said, stressing the need to promote language, literature and culture from every possible platform. “Telugus love their language and literature. Telugu language is one of the six languages designated as a classical language of India. We use literature not just to explore our own identity but to project our cultural confidence to the wider world.”
Mr. Buddha Prasad, known for his love of Telugu language, went on to explain how Telugu writing was highly influenced by a few other languages. “The beauty of Telugu language lies in its ability to assimilate the good qualities of other languages,” he said.
He spoke about how Telugu literature was initially found in inscriptions and poetry in the courts of the rulers, and later in written works such as Nannayya's Mahabharatam.
Tagore’s influence
Referring to the influences from other languages, he highlighted the far-reaching impact of Rabindranath Tagore on modern Telugu literature; and how his impact transcended literary engagement and permeated deep into the social ethos of the Telugus. “Even today, one would find many Telugu children named ‘Tagore’, he pointed out.
Sahitya Akademi secretary K. Sreenivasa Rao, vice-president Chandrasekhar Kambar, convenor of Telugu Advisory Board, N. Gopi, and Telugu writer P. Subbaramaiah were present.
The inaugural was followed by a session on ‘Is Literature the Mirror of Society?’, a Poet’s Meet and Loka: The Many Voices. Monday’s programmes include a short story reading session, contemporary literary trends, and a poet’s meet.
