Telugu professors, research scholars and postgraduate students are crying foul over the raw deal meted out to them in connection with the fourth World Telugu Conference, scheduled to be held here from December 27.
A Telugu professor of the Dravidian University, who visited Sri Venkateswara University here on official work recently, has raised the lack of representation to Telugu departments of various varsities in the WTC, during a conversation with another faculty member.
“Many Telugu professors are also writers. Students who take up Telugu courses have love for the language. Does the conference carry any meaning if the real lovers of the language are not included in its organisation?” asks a professor at SVU Telugu department.
Speaking to Express over phone, SV Satayanarayana, head of the department of Telugu, Osmania University, has said they are hurt with the government’s attitude. “We are not going to attend the meeting even if the government invites us now,” he said.
The key people in the organising committee--director of culture Rallabandi Kavithaprasad, cultural adviser to state government KV Ramanachary and T Gowrishankar--have obtained their doctorates from the Osmania University Telugu department. The department had produced many eminent people, including two Jnanapith awardees, apart from poets, writers, scholars and teachers of Telugu language. Has any other institution done more for the Telugu language?” he asked.
Another Telugu professor of SVU said the government is going to spend Rs 50 crore on the three-day WTC. If it has a commitment to promote the language, it would have spent the amount at the grassroot level, he said.
A research scholar said the WTC organisers have constituted many sub-committees, including a students committee, but SVU students are not included. “We are all disappointed,” he said.
