NEW YORK: Representatives from Canada, the United Kingdom and other nations have started arriving for a major gathering of Telugus this weekend in Philadelphia, US, in which consultations will take place on special-category status for Andhra Pradesh and farmers' indebtedness and tributes are to be paid to film star Sridevi, lyricist Cinare and comedian Nerella Venumadhav.
According to organisers, the gathering will be attended by 7,000 to 10,000 delegates.
If the high end of the estimate turns into a reality, the convention will probably the biggest gathering of its kind.
''We have some unique programmes scheduled at the convention,''Rajeshwar Reddy Gangasani, president of the North American Telugu Association, the main group that is holding the convention, said in an interview.
''Matters that affect both Telangana and Andhra will be highlighted. ''Some national and regional Telugu groups have banded together with NATA to hold the major gathering.
Special-category status and farmers' indebtedness are among major issues affecting the states about which panel discussions are to be held and solutions suggested.
Though Telugus started arriving in the middle of last century, the first major wave came in the early 1960s, when President John F Kennedy liberalised the visa regime for potential professional immigrants.
Telugus and other Indians began arriving since that time.
Another significant wave of Telugus immigrated in the late 1990s, when many computer professionals were needed to fix the widely expected bug in the run-up to year 2000.
NATA is said to be the first national Telugu body founded a few decades ago.
In recent years, several national organizations have been formed; since 2014, when the combined Andhra Pradesh state was divided, a few Telangana nationwide associations came into being.
Aside from these, there are scores of local and regional Telugu organisations serving the community, which speaks the second-most popular language in India.
Gangasani, a key donor himself for the event, praised other contributors and volunteers working for the success of the meeting, which he billed as the ''megaconvention.
'' Around 750 volunteers, with 52 ad hoc committees, have completed all the formalities for the inauguration of the convention tomorrow (July 6) evening.
The three-day event, which will attract delegates from across the US and India, will end with a grand finale of music and other entertainment segments on Sunday.
Srinivas Ganagoni, in charge of the news media, said representatives from Canada, the UK and other countries have started arriving.
According to the NATA website, the top 10 donors are Prem Reddy, Malla Reddy Pailla, Raghuram Reddy Etukuru, Adisesha Reddy, Stanley Reddy, Lakshmi/Srinivas Emani, Shyam Putchakayala, Hanimireddy Lakireddy, Mahender Reddy and Phalgun Reddy.
Gangasani, who works in New York but based in neighbouring New Jersey, spoke about the convention theme in the half-hour interview.
"Samaja Seve NATA Maata; Samskrutika Vikaasame NATA Baata (social service is NATA word; cultural development is NATA way)," he said, citing several programmes conducted by the organisation in the US and both Telugu states.
Samuel D. Thompson, a New Jersey senator; and Upendra J. Chivukula, commissioner on the Board of Public Utilities, also from that state, will be the dignitaries from the US side gracing the occasion.
Ganagoni said Thompson will be the chief guest and deliver the inaugural address.
On the India side, Congress party President in Telangana Nalamada Uttam Kumar Reddy, party leader Revanth Reddy, Power Minister Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy, Swami Chidatmananda, Telugu film comedian Ali (who will be the brand ambassador at the convention) are to attend the event.
Film crew of biopic Mahanati of Keerthi Suresh, who donned the leading role, will be present.
A business session with billionaire M. Srinivas Reddy will held, said Ganagoni. Youth programs, focusing on American talent, will be among the highlights.
Film star Sridevi, lyricist Cinare and comedian Nerella Venumadhav â who passed away in recent months â will be remembered.
The birth centenary of former chief minister Marri Chenna Reddy (who was born on January 13, 1919) will be celebrated at the event.
Lifetime achievement award will be accorded to Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy (former member of the Rajya Sabha from Andhra).
Krishna Sagar Rao and Somagutta Vishnu Vardhan Reddy (both Bharatiya Janata Party) and representatives from Telugu Desam and the Yuvajana Shramik Ryuthu Congress parties will be among those who are scheduled to attend the convention.
Several other politicians from both states are expected to attend.
In the last two months, a couple of organisations held conventions in Texas.
During the Memorial Day weekend (late May), a Telugu association held a gathering in Dallas.
Another was held last weekend in Houston.
The latter was described as the World Telangana Convention in which representatives from about 20 countries participated.
An estimated population of 5 million Indians lives in the US, though official statistics speak of a much lower figure.
Similarly, there are up to a million Telugus in the US. Official figures, however, show a somewhat smaller number.