Hyderabad: He owes his current stature and success to his teachers in school and college days, said Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in his own words at the start of the World Telugu Conference in the city on Friday.
Seeing the Telugu language spark in him, Mr Rao said his teachers encouraged him to gain even higher proficiency in the language without charging him anything extra. Travelling back in time to his early life, Mr Rao recalled the invaluable role of his gurus Mrityunjay Sharma and Mudigonda Veerabhadraiah from Siddipet in shaping his future.
Telangana government’s prestigious five-day World Telugu Conference kicked off to a glittering start at LB Stadium on Friday evening.
The inaugural programme was attended by Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu besides CM Chandrashekar Rao, Telangana Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, Maharashtra Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, ministers, legislators, Telugu poets and writers, Telugu delegates from various states and abroad, among others.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Rao called upon the teacher fraternity in the state to rededicate itself to protecting and promoting the Telugu language. Teachers’ role is very crucial because they can bring a change in the entire society through their work, he said, stressing on the government’s serious intent of promoting Telugu language in the coming days.
The Chief Minister said that every child’s mother is their first teacher as she tries to make the newborn familiar with his/her family, teach them good habits and what they should do and what not from early childhood.
KCR recited poems and lines from works of noted Telugu poets of the past with ease, inviting a huge applause from the crowd at LB Stadium.
He even sang lines from ‘Galli Chinnadi Garibolla Katha Peddadi’ written by poet Goreti Venkanna and made a mention of hugely popular ‘Jaya Jayahe Telangana’ and ‘Vanamma Vanamma Okasari Vachipovamma’ songs of poets Andhesri and Jayaraj.
Mr Rao heaped praise on works of Telugu poets right from Bommera Pothana to most recent Dr C. Narayana Reddy. He said they conveyed life lessons and experiences through very simple, easy to understand language, striking a chord with everyone.
Mr Rao said his government tried to recognise acclaimed poets and writers from Telangana and instituted awards after Kaloji Narayana Rao and Dasarathi. He vowed to take steps to recognise the works of various Telangana literary greats which had not been getting the attention they needed.
The Chief Minister thanked Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu for appreciating his efforts to promote Telugu language on various platforms in the last few months.
Maharashtra Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao called upon parents to ensure their kids learn their mother tongue perfectly until six years of age, as was stressed by UNESCO. He said he was very impressed at the big scale the government was holding the Telugu conference.
Telangana Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan said that conference was a good opportunity to share knowledge of the past, history of the region and its achievements with the current generation. He wanted Telugu language promotion to keep pace with the present internet age.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that Hindu and Muslim communities co-existed for several centuries. Telugu language was much respected during the Quli Qutubshah regime.
Teachers, language buffs and students turned up in large numbers for the inaugural programme. Authorities had arranged special buses to help them reach the city without difficulty. A spectacular fireworks show was held at the end of the inaugural programme.
