Urdu is one of the most beautiful languages : Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu

Hyderabad: Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday referred to the richness of Urdu language and said, "Urdu is one of the most beautiful languages spoken around the world".

Touching upon the importance of mother tongue, Naidu urged people to always speak in their native languages. He observed that Hyderabad, in particular, and Deccan as a whole, have been ancient centres of Urdu.

Naidu received the book 'Urdu Poets and Writers - Gems of Deccan' authored by senior journalist J S Ifthekhar. He also received books on former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao from Mamidi Harikrishna, Director of Telangana state Language and Culture department, 'Manavottama Rama' authored by Satyakasi Bhargava and 'Nallagonda Kathalu' authored by Mallikarjun.

'Gems of Deccan' is an anthology of prose and poetry that encapsulates the life and works of 51 outstanding poets and writers of the Deccan region. The book traces the rich literary and cultural traditions of Deccan, right from the time of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the founder of Hyderabad, to the present times.

Complimenting the State government for bringing out a book on the late Narasimha Rao, the V-P appealed to all the State governments to bring out such publications on local and regional icons to make the younger generation aware of them. Naidu commended the author of 'Manavottama Rama' for his efforts in portraying Lord Rama's qualities as an ideal human being. Lord Rama's virtues and qualities remain relevant for all times, he observed.

Receiving the book 'Nallagonda Kathalu', the V-P stressed the need for writing and popularising rural folklore and local stories to preserve them for future generations. He called for similar initiatives in publishing children's literature "that is rooted in our everyday life".