Telugu set to get a push in the US

Telugu being introduced in Texas, Michigan, California universities

• TANA's contribution to meet expenses for five years at each university
• More than 50 per cent of Telugu children in US speak the language

VISAKHAPATNAM : Members of the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) are contributing one lakh dollars each to three American universities to meet the cost of introducing Telugu as a language of study for the Telugus in the US.

"To start with, Telugu is being introduced in the universities of Texas, Michigan and California and later we are planning to have Telugu taught at New Jersey, New York and some other universities," said regional vice-president and co-chairperson of cultural committee of TANA Damodar Gedela here on Wednesday.

Hindi was the only Indian language being taught at American universities, that too in one or two universities and Telugu was being introduced at three universities simultaneously. The money contributed by TANA would meet the expenses for five years at each university and later the university would run the course on its own.

Course material

The course material was prepared by the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University and would be formally released during TANA's 16th conference to be held in July next year. Telugu-speaking people in the US decided to promote and sustain their mother tongue as it faced the threat of becoming extinct. "More than 50 per cent of Telugu children in the US speak the language", said Mr. Gadela.

Courtesy: The Hindu