The 95th global online meeting of the TANA World Literary Forum was successfully held under the theme “Telugu Is Our Light”, marking Telugu State Language Day in Andhra Pradesh and commemorating the birth anniversary of Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy Pantulu, a pioneer of the spoken Telugu language movement.
Organized by the literary wing of TANA, the World Literary Forum has been conducting international virtual meetings every month on the last Sunday for the past six years under the banner “Nela Nela Telugu Velugu” (Telugu Light Every Month).
The 95th meeting began with a welcome address by coordinator Chigurumalla Srinivas and featured prominent speakers from the fields of politics, literature, language, culture and journalism.
The chief guest and keynote speaker, Deputy Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Kanumuru Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, said the state government was committed to the preservation and wider promotion of the Telugu language. He said a consultation committee would soon be formed to discuss measures for the development of Telugu and formulate appropriate guidelines.
He also emphasized the importance of remembering personalities who made significant contributions to Telugu language and culture. He said statues of Tirupati Sastry and Chellapilla Venkata Sastry, associated with the Tirupati Venkata Kavulu tradition, were being established in the Undi region. He further said a newly constructed bridge would be named after renowned scientist Dr. Yellapragada Subbarow, describing such personalities as an inspiration for future generations.
Dr. Prasad Thotakura, organizer of the TANA World Literary Forum, stressed the important role of parents in preserving Telugu while recognizing the importance of English. He called for wider use of Telugu across government departments and suggested that government orders issued in English should also be translated into Telugu promptly. He also emphasized the need for mother-tongue education at least up to the fifth grade.
Prof. Dr. Shalaka Raghunadha Sharma highlighted the richness and adaptability of Telugu, noting that the language has historically absorbed words from several other languages. He recalled the appreciation Telugu received from personalities including Sri Krishnadevaraya and others from outside the Telugu-speaking community.
Regulla Mallikarjuna Rao, Director of the Andhra Pradesh Department of Culture, said the government was presenting Telugu Language Awards and Kalaratna Awards every year to recognize individuals contributing to Telugu language and culture.
Gidugu Lakshmi Kanthikrishna, great-granddaughter of Gidugu Ramamurthy Pantulu, recalled her ancestor’s efforts to transform literary Telugu into a form of language accessible to ordinary people despite numerous challenges. She said the Gidugu Ramamurthy Foundation continues his legacy by recognizing contributions to the development of language and literature.
Dr. Madabhushi Sampath Kumar, Director of the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Telugu, said that although Telugu had successfully received Classical Language status, efforts were still needed to secure greater funding from the Central Government. He called for support from Members of Parliament in this regard.
Dr. Guntupalli Srinivas, Secretary of the Telugu Language Movement Federation, called for modern teaching methods to make Telugu more engaging and effective for children. He said the focus should go beyond marks and examine how well students actually understand and use the language.
Senior journalist Ramesh Kandula observed that Telugu has continued to evolve across various fields and called for collective efforts to strengthen the language and restore its cultural prominence.
The program concluded with Dr. Prasad Thotakura thanking all the distinguished guests, literary personalities, organizers and everyone who contributed to the successful conduct of the 95th meeting.
