The state government has decided to make Telugu compulsory from classes I to X, apart from setting up a separate ministry for Telugu language and culture. Further, the Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, Sahitya Akademi and Lalitha Kala Akademi will be revived along with dedicated implementation of Telugu as the official language in all spheres of administration.
These were the announcements made by chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Day 1 of the World Telugu Conference which was inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee at the temple town of Tirupati. The fourth edition of the conference is being hosted by the state for the second time in 37 years.
In his inaugural speech, the President recalled the contributions of the luminaries of Telugu literature and heaped praises on the language, which has been accorded the classical language status. He hailed the government for organising the event while emphasising the need to explore languages and cultures more intensely.
Kiran Kumar spoke in the same vein and assured that the government would do its part in conserving the language and culture.
Governor ESL Narasimhan stressed on the need for more research on the language in state universities as also the government’s responsibility to ensure that studying the language could also fetch then lucrative jobs.
The event was preceded by the unveiling of the Telugu Talli Statue at Purnakumbam circle and a colourful procession of Telugu Vaibhavam-Maha Jana Yatra.
Fourteen popular personalities, including veteran actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao, were felicitated.
Even as laudatory celebrations went on one side, there were voices of resentment doing the rounds.
Tirupati MLA B Karunakar Reddy protested by tying a black flag to the Telugu Talli statue, while lashing out at the government failing to protect Telugu effectively. Ten people, not including the MLA, were arrested.
Several writers and people’s organisations including Virasam and Arasam too expressed their resentment, describing the event as another effort of the ruling class to oppress the people. Virsam founder Vara Vara Rao, was detained on his way to Tirupati and send back to the state capital. Nearly 2,000 Yakshagana artists also staged a protest, deriding the government for failing to protect the vanishing their art form.
They said the invited artistes were not even provided proper accommodation.