Hyderabad, Dec 19 (PTI) Telugu is a global language, itis the language of enterprise and technology, of Indian softpower and a vibrant Telugu-speaking diaspora, President RamNath Kovind said today.
He was addressing the valedictory function of the WorldTelugu Conference here.
"Telugu is a global language. It can be heard, read andcherished across continents. It is the language of enterpriseand technology, of Indian soft power and of a vibrantTelugu-speaking diaspora that has made a name for itself andfor our country.
"From South Africa to Southeast Asia, the Telugucommunity is acknowledged as achievers," the president said.
In the United States, Telugus have been elected to publicoffice, and are well-known as entrepreneurs, doctors andtechnologists, he said.
"It is a matter of pride that the CEO of the technologygiant Microsoft -Satya Nadella- is a Telugu. He follows a fineheritage. Among others is Yellapragada Subbarao, thecelebrated biochemist who worked at Harvard University in the1920s and 1930s," he said.
The commitment of the Telugu diaspora to its mothertongue and the culture of its ancestral land is strong, Kovindsaid, adding "I am heartened to learn of programmes such as'Mana Badi', which make children of Telugu families conversantwith the language of their parents and grandparents".
Kovind, who visited Hyderabad for the first time afterassuming office, also said, "Telugu is the second-most spokenlanguage in our country. It is the mother tongue of the peopleof two states, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Since 2008, ithas been recognised as a classical language for its longliterary tradition – a tradition of which even (Telangana)Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is an important part.
"The greatest emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire, KrishnaDeva Raya, was both a remarkable ruler as well as an exponentand patron of Telugu literature," he noted.
Kovind also mentioned that three of his "distinguishedpredecessors" (former presidents) were Telugu speakers –-S Radhakrishnan, V V Giri and Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy.
"And P V Narasimha Rao, a scholar and prime minister,knowledgeable in many languages, but truly an authority inTelugu, too was from this region," Kovind said.
The president also noted that Telugu has been called a"bridge language between the south and the north".
Hyderabad too is a bridge between many cultures andregions, which is a pan-Indian city as well as a globalmetropolis, he said, praising its technology industry,pharmaceutical companies, vaccine innovators, thrivingeducational institutions and health-care centres, cinema andspecial effect production houses and sports facilities.
"And Hyderabad is simply majestic as the city of'biryani, badminton and Bahubali' – giving the countrydelicious food, a string of badminton champions and films thatare an expression of Indian soft power," the president said.
On Telangana and Andhra Pradesh jointly topping the'Ease of Doing Business' state rankings for 2016, thepresident said for a new state such as Telangana, this was acreditable achievement.
Chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said the Teluguconference will be held every year in December.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu had inaugurated thefive-day event on December 15. PTI VVK KRKSRY.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.