State to press for classical language status for Telugu

Government to table resolution in Assembly today

HYDERABAD: A resolution appealing to the Centre to accord classical language status for Telugu would be introduced in the State Assembly on Wednesday, Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy said.

Dr. Reddy made the announcement at the International Mother Tongue Day celebrations organised by the AP Official Languages Commission here on Tuesday. The move is to exert pressure on the Centre to accord the status to Telugu on the lines of Tamil.

"I have spoken to Union Minister for Human Resources Development Arjun Singh, who has promised me that he will do his best," Dr. Reddy said amid applause from a large gathering at the Lalita Kala Toranam where the function was held. A task force was set up the under the chairmanship of Sports and Culture Minister M. Satyanarayana Rao to strive to seek classical language status and promotion of Telugu language.

Dr. Reddy said it was a matter of concern that Telugu language was being neglected in preference to other languages. "If Telugu is ignored it will be a matter of serious concern," he said, adding people should not forget that Andhra Pradesh was the first linguistic State in the country.

The Chief Minister later gave away language awards to V. Simanna, Kathi Padma Rao, Telidevara Bhanumurthy, S. Narayana, Manzoor Ahmed, Mazeed Badar and Fatima Taj for their service to Telugu and Urdu languages. Nizamabad Collector D. V. Raidu, Anantapur Collector Y. V.Anuradha, Visakhapatnam Collector A. K. Singhal and Srikakulam SP A. S.Gurappa were among the 37 officials who received the State award for promotion of Telugu.

Exhibition

Meanwhile, the Minister for Culture inaugurated a three-day exhibition on "evolution of Telugu language and script over the centuries." He said Telugu, being a more than 2,000-year-old language, deserved the classical language status.

"Telugu language is next only to Hindi going by the number of people who speak it," he said.

Mr. Rao also visited the one-day hunger strike camp launched by the representatives of Telugu Bhashodyama Samakhya (Federation for protection of promotion of Telugu language) at Indira Park.

CPI State secretary K. Narayana and senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya, who joined the fast, said that their respective parties would take up the matter with the Centre.

Courtesy: The Hindu

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