Plea to replace English with Telugu as official language

Telugu Bashodyama Samakhya, a body devoted to promotion of Telugu, has urged Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to adopt a political resolution of implementing Telugu as the official language, replacing English, at all levels, and maintained that English should be used in official correspondence sparingly wherever it is utmost necessary.

Releasing a copy of the memorandum, which was submitted to the Chief Minister on August 26, to the media here on August 28, Samakhya president Samala Ramesh Babu noted that barring the erstwhile Chief Minister NT Rama Rao no other Chief Minister paid attention to it.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu highlighted the same issue during the civic reception accorded to him in Telugu states, exhorting Chandrababu Naidu to take initiative on the issue.

Responding to the suggestion for constitution of an empowered authority for Telugu, the state government constituted a committee in 2016, he said appealing to the government to approve the committee’s report and give it the shape of law. He sought clarity on the language policy of the state government in education.

In a GO (No.14) issued by the municipal administration department in February 2017, Telugu as medium of instruction has been done away with in government primary schools, he said.

He observed that the state government has been maintaining that the educational instructions at the primary level would be in both the media on one hand and on the other it is discouraging admissions in to Telugu medium classes.

Municipal Administration Minister Narayana has been projecting the Telugu medium education in poor light stating that the future for such students would be bleak. Moreover, the minister has been mounting pressure on officials.

Therefore, Samala Ramesh Babu urged the Chief Minister to make a specific announcement on the issue. Academicia, the UNESCO and other reputed bodies argue that the primary education should be taught in the mother tongue alone. Other languages should be one of the subjects but should not become the medium of instructions, he said quoting reports.

It is not wise to teach students in an alien language setting aside the time-tested practice of teaching in Telugu medium at the primary level. The archaic system would be of no use to the nation. Therefore, Ramesh Babu appealed to the Chief Minister for taking suitable action and urged him to make a statement on the issue.