KADAPA: Former Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu emphasised that the preservation of the mother tongue cannot be achieved merely by writing books, conferring awards, or organising cultural events, and it must evolve into a people’s movement.
He attended as the chief guest at the Janamaddi Hanumath Sastri Centenary Memorial awards ceremony held at the CP Brown Memorial Library in Kadapa on Sunday.
Speaking on the occasion, Venkaiah Naidu said that safeguarding one’s mother tongue means passing on its sweetness and cultural richness to future generations.
He called upon Telugu language enthusiasts and literary figures to adopt innovative methods to teach the language to children simply and creatively.
“While it is good to honour those who serve the mother tongue, every individual must first love and master their own language,” he stated.
Naidu outlined five key areas to strengthen the use and preservation of mother tongues that include imparting primary education in the mother tongue, giving priority to native languages in administration, conducting judicial proceedings in the local language, expanding the use of Indian languages in higher education and encouraging families to speak their mother tongue at home.
Paying homage to CP Brown, Naidu noted that though Brown was not a native Telugu speaker, he made immense contributions to the preservation of the Telugu language.
He lauded Janamaddi Hanumath Sastri for his monumental work in promoting libraries and literature, describing his ‘library movement’ as a noble and enduring legacy.
“Heritage is not just about property or position-it’s about continuing noble initiatives like these,” Naidu remarked, congratulating Janamaddi Vijayabhaskar, the son of Hanumath Sastri, for his committed efforts in managing the literary trust.
Stressing the need to revive traditional cultural practices, he said, “We must rejuvenate our games, songs, language, dialect, traditions, attire, ornaments, and even our unique expressions - all of these define who we are.”
Naidu presented Janamaddi Memorial awards to distinguished personalities.