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Hyderabad, Jan.4 (PMI): Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy today said it was the responsibility of all to protect the Telugu language and added that the movement to protect it should start from people’s homes. He was the chief guest at the 12th biennial conference of the World Telugu Federation held at HICC on Saturday.
Speaking on the occasion, he said he was very happy to participate in the 12th Biennial Conference of the World Telugu Federation. “Special thanks to the elders of the World Telugu Federation, who are organizing these conferences in Hyderabad for three days, especially Indira Dutt and her team members. It is truly commendable that this World Telugu Federation has rendered its services for the last 32 years by promoting artistes and preserving Telugu language, Telugu language traditions and arts. I am happy that Telugu people from all over the world who sing ‘Maa Telugu Talliki Malle Poodanda’ are coming together on the same platform and working for the Telugu language, Telugu literature, Telugu arts and Telugu traditions. Telugu is one of the oldest languages in India. Apart from Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia and Sanskrit are the oldest languages recognized by the Central government,” he said.
He said that Telugu language was the most beautiful language in the world and added that those who listened to the Telugu words and melodies seem to have heard music. “At present, many people are neglecting Telugu. Although the Telugu is their mother tongue, they are not able to write in Telugu. But on social media, the Telugu words are also written in English. This is very painful. Even at home, we speak only 30 per cent of the language we speak in Telugu. The rest is spoken in English. Once upon a time, everyone used to speak all things in Telugu. But we are speaking in English like this and weakening Telugu. That’s why from now on, let’s speak in Telugu,” Kishan Reddy said.
He alleged that during the Nizam’s time, the suppression of the Telugu language continued and added that there were Urdu-medium schools while noting that Telugu people had to study in the Urdu medium schools. “Even in such a restriction, there were many struggles to preserve the Telugu language in the name of the library movement and the ‘Andhra Mahasabha’. Yakshagana, Bhagavatham and Drama are some of the art forms that are unique to the Telugu language.
In the world, attention is not to be found in any other language except in Telugu and Sanskrit. “In countries like China, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Italy, Spain and Taiwan, education continues in the mother tongue. Haven’t those countries developed in many fields? They are even using their mother tongue to go into space. But we are not using our mother tongue even for primary education. As a Telugu language lover, this is very painful. If you learn English, you will get a job and development. This is a dark legacy left by the past colonial rulers. We should leave this behind. The languages spoken by those nationalities play a key role in preserving the history and development of a nation’s culture. That is why the national education policy brought by the Modi government has given a big priority to the mother tongue. The Modi government is working to bring textbooks in the Indian languages. Human intelligence develops in the mother tongue. This development begins as the baby grows in the mother’s womb. No matter how much study is done in a foreign language, no matter how much skill is acquired, intelligence will not be acquired at that level,” the minister explained. (PMI)
