Conference on development of Telugu language

Expresses concern over erosion of language in the wake of globalisation

• Seeks proposal to appoint panel to develop Telugu
• Assures help to consider proposals made by experts

LANGUAGE CONCERNS: Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy speaking at a workshop on Telugu language in Hyderabad on Sunday. Senior journalist Potturi Venkateswara Rao, advisor to Government C.C. Reddy, and former Chief Minster N. Janardhana Reddy are also seen. — Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy has expressed concern over the gradual erosion of the importance of Telugu in the wake of globalisation. He sought a proposal from Official Language Commission Chairman A. B. K. Prasad for appointing a high-level committee to develop the language.

He was responding to a suggestion made by C. Dharma Rao, president, తెలుగు భాష పరిరక్షణ సమితి (Telugu Bhasha Parirakshana Samiti for the appointment of such a committee at a conference on `Development of Telugu language: new strategies' organised by the Gajjela Malla Reddy Memorial Trust here on Sunday. He assured that the Government would sympathetically consider the proposals made by experts for growth of Telugu.

`Elitist tendency'

Dr. Reddy deplored the elitist tendency among parents to look down upon Telugu while feeling proud in making children learn English right from LKG. While nobody disputed that English, as a link language, provided more job opportunities, he said, it would be wrong not to accord importance to mother tongue.

He said children, who initially study in their mother tongue, would felicitously learn other subjects. But they would be hard put to learn if made to study in English from the beginning. Besides, learning in mother tongue would also develop the thinking capacity.

Former Vice-Chancellor of Hyderabad University Bh.Krishnamurthy, said teaching should be in mother tongue up to primary level and English should be taught as a subject from sixth standard. Every year from eighth to tenth standards, an additional subject could be introduced in English. Bilingual method of teaching should be adopted for science subjects.

Job interviews

Depending on the situation, job interviews should be conducted in two languages. Job opportunities for those who studied in Telugu medium would increase if use of Telugu, was expanded to governance, education system, industries, commerce and judiciary. He said language would grow only when in use and would otherwise remain stagnant. Former Chief Minister N. Janardhana Reddy stressed the need for increasing the use of Telugu in all fields. He called for setting up of a research centre to develop the language. The State and Central Governments should try to provide adequate funds for the centre.

C. C. Reddy, advisor to State Government, recalled the long association he had with Malla Reddy. Pothuri Venkateswara Rao, veteran journalist, spoke.

Courtesy: The Hindu