English is for job, but Telugu is for life, says Naidu at Telugu Bhasha Dinostavam celebrations

State government celebrates Telugu Bhasha Dinotsavam, honoring Sri Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy, emphasizing Telugu preservation and honoring artists.

The State government celebrated the Telugu Bhasha Dinotsavam (Telugu Language Day), commemorating the 161st birth anniversary of Sri Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy, in a grand manner here on August 29, Thursday. The government felicitated artists from various fields on the occasion.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan stressed the need to preserve the Telugu language while English can be learnt for global communication and employment purposes. Both the leaders extended greetings to Telugu people across the globe by posting on ‘X’ on the need to pass on the eminence of the language to the next generations.

Responding to Mr. Pawan Kalyan’s request to scrap GO 77, which is said to be a hurdle in the promotion of language pandits, and reprint the seven volumes of the Suryarayandhra Telugu Nighantuvu (Telugu dictionary), Mr. Naidu said suitable action would be taken.

Addressing the gathering,  Mr. Naidu said, “Job ku English, jeevitaniki Telugu” (loose translation:English for job, and Telugu for life). In an oblique reference to the previous YSRCP government, he said, “I don’t want to take names. But, one government had done gross injustice to Telugu with its lopsided policies. Unfortunately, the previous government tried hard to drive home a message that English was a must for survival, and Telugu was ignored,” he said.

“TDP founder-president N.T. Rama Rao strived hard to promote the Telugu language and established Potti Sri Ramulu Telugu University as a step in that direction. The State government was chalking out plans to establish chapters of Sangeet Nataka Academy, National School of Drama, Telugu Adhyayana Kendram in Nellore,” he said.

Stating that native English-speaking people should earn more than the Telugu people in the USA if English was the only criterion for success in life. But, in reality, an average Telugu person earns 1.17 lakh US dollars, while a native US person earns 65,000 US dollars per annum. The State government has set a target of making Andhra Pradesh the Number One State in the country by 2047. India would become the top best-performing country in the world by the year 2047, 100 years after Independence, he said. 

Recalling the services of Gidugu Ramamurthy Panthulu, Mr. Pawan Kalyan said that much of the Telugu written literature, up to the end of the 19th century was in a highly formal “literary style.” Colloquial spoken language began to earn the literary mantle through Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy. He sold away all his properties to promote the use of colloquial language. In the process, he earned the wrath of conservationists, he said.