The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : World Telugu meet to be held at Bangalore

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Saturday, Sep 04, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

World Telugu meet to be held at Bangalore

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 3. The 6th International biennial conference of the World Telugu Federation (WTF) will be organised at Bangalore from December 24 to 26, according to its president, V.L. Indira Dutt.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Ms. Dutt said the WTF, a non-profit organisation of Telugus, is holding its conference at Whitefield, Shantiniketan, in Bangalore. The Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, would be the chief guest at the inaugural function.

The three-day meet to be attended by over 3,500 delegates from various countries would have separate sessions for women, youth and businessmen.

The conference would highlight the rich Telugu culture and provide an opportunity for the delegates to have first hand experience of the folk arts.

Stating that the Federation is determined to revive folk arts, Ms. Dutt said it has been decided to provide financial assistance to the folk artistes who are a neglected lot. At every conference, the Federation had identified select artistes and provided them an opportunity to give performance. She said the WTF is preparing a list of folk artistes who are in need of assistance.

Y. Laxmi Prasad, former MP and WTF representative, said that a heritage museum is being planned at Visakhapatnam. The federation has come forward to provide the infrastructure, he said, and added that the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) had agreed in principle to provide land at the Kailashgiri hill. The total cost of the project is Rs. 4 crores.

Free coaching

He said the WTF plans to identify the unrecognised talent of poor artistes from the rural areas and encourage young upcoming artistes in the rural and urban areas. Efforts would be made to revive folk and tribal dance forms.

The WTF Secretary-General, B.S.R.Krishna, said the federation has embarked on imparting coaching free of cost to the children interested in learning Telugu. The aim is to assist non-resident Indians (NRI) settled abroad to keep contact with their motherland and language.

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