Preserve mother tongue to protect culture says Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu

Rajamahendravaram : Former Vice-President Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu emphasised the importance of preserving the mother tongue, stating that the extinction of a language is akin to a nation’s loss of breath.

Addressing the inaugural session of the World Telugu Conference at Godavari Global University here on Wednesday, he called for reducing the obsession with English and urged everyone to protect their native language, Telugu.

Venkaiah strongly advocated voting only for those who speak Telugu and insisted that songs and dialogues in films should be exclusively in Telugu.

The two-day Prapancha Telugu Mahasabhalu (World Telugu Conference) commenced with great fervour at the university. Three main stages, named after literary and cultural stalwarts Adikavi Nannayya, Raja Raja Narendra, and Kandukuri Veeresalingam Pantulu, were prepared for the event. Additionally, the modern Ayodhya Ram temple replica was constructed using AI and advanced technology near the venue.

Presiding over the inaugural session, GGU Vice-Chancellor KVV Satyanarayana Raju welcomed the attendees. Venkaiah Naidu, as chief guest, urged the administration to conduct governance in Telugu. He highlighted how British rulers altered names and words due to their inability to pronounce them correctly, which disrupted the native culture and language. He called to rectify these changes and preserve Telugu.

Venkaiah noted that Telugu speakers are spread across the globe, comprising 10 per cent of Tamil Nadu’s population, 2 per cent in Maharashtra, and 13 per cent in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He lauded the immense knowledge embedded in ancient scriptures, including the Vedas, Upanishads and epics, much of which has been translated into Telugu. Stressing the need for continued efforts in translation, he advocated for the protection of Sanskrit alongside Telugu.

Highlighting the richness of Telugu, the former Vice-President stated that the language has over 600,000 words compared to only 200,000 in English. Citing studies that reveal the extinction of 600 languages worldwide, he urged efforts to ensure Telugu does not face a similar fate.

Dr Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, president of the Viswa Hindi Parishad, inaugurated the conference, applauding the focus on engaging students and youth in the event. Addressing the gathering, Satyanarayana Raju expressed pride in hosting the conference, driven by immense love for the Telugu language.

Spiritual scholar P Bangaraiah Sarma highlighted Telugu’s grammatical prowess and its unique literary forms like Avadhanam and Padyam.

Former MLC Gone Prakash Rao suggested involving NRI Telugu enthusiasts in such efforts.

Dr Garikipati Narasimha Rao, prominent literary figure, stressed the need for a movement to protect Telugu, demanding that Telugu be the medium of instruction from grades 1 to 5 and a mandatory subject up to degree level.

Noted lyricist Jonnavithula Ramalingeswara Rao expressed that one who speaks proper Telugu is akin to a Vedic scholar. He performed a lyrical piece emphasising Telugu’s divine essence, recounting his contributions through Telugu poetry.

Other dignitaries, including Prof Chamarthi, KT Ramaraju, Sathavadhani Kadimella Varaprasad, literary scholar Errapragada Ramakrishna, nuclear scientist R Shyamasundar and GGU Pro-Chancellor K Shashi Kiran Verma participated. The event also featured welcoming addresses by Dr PVB Sanjeeva Rao and Dwibhashyam Kalyani.

The conference concluded with a collective resolve to safeguard and promote Telugu, underscoring its cultural and linguistic importance for future generations.