GUNTUR (Andhra Pradesh), Jan 5 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said no language is superior or inferior to another and called upon people across the country to respect each other’s languages.
Addressing the fourth World Telugu Conference here, Naidu asserted that students who study in their mother tongue tend to excel.
“People should respect each other’s languages. No language is greater or lesser than another,” the chief minister said, adding that technology does not erode languages but instead helps in their preservation.
While observing that English is necessary, the TDP supremo said forgetting one’s mother tongue amounts to forgetting one’s identity.
Despite the presence of hundreds of languages in the country, Naidu said Telugu, being one of the six classical languages, is a matter of pride.
Noting that nearly 10 crore people speak Telugu, he said representatives from 40 countries had participated in the conference and stressed that children should be taught to love the language.
The chief minister announced that a Telugu university would be established in Rajahmundry in the name of Potti Sriramulu and also unveiled a postal stamp.
Sriramulu, a Gandhian freedom fighter, had undertaken a 58-day fast unto death in 1952 for a separate state for Telugu-speaking people, which ultimately led to the formation of Andhra Pradesh, making him a pivotal figure in the creation of linguistic states in India.
Further, Naidu stressed the need for coordination between the two Telugu states to resolve issues, including water sharing.
He said unity between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is essential to achieving the top position in the country.
According to the CM, around 3,000 TMC of water is draining into the sea from the Godavari river and from both Godavari and Krishna rivers, about 6,282 TMC of water flows unused into the sea.
Naidu said Andhra Pradesh had never objected to Telangana’s Kaleshwaram project.
The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project is a multi-purpose project on the Godavari River in Bhupalpally district. Damage to the barrages, built during the previous BRS regime, became a major issue in the 2023 Assembly election.
Goa Governor P Ashok Gajapati Raju, Assembly Speaker C Ayyannapatrudu, and Minister of State for Rural Development P Chandrasekhar also attended the event. (PTI)
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