Date:13/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/13/stories/2008101354050200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

‘Telugu has great cultural significance’

Staff Reporter

World Telugu Federation to hold its eighth conference in city in January

— PHOTO: RAJU V.

ALL SMILES: World Telugu Federation president V.L. Indira Dutt (right) with regional chairman and industrialist Gokaraju Ganga Raju at a meeting held in Vijayawada on Sunday to finalise arrangements for the eight conference of the WTF.

VIJAYAWADA: The World Telugu Federation, a socio-cultural organisation serving to preserve and promote Telugu language, literature, culture and art, will hold its eighth conference here in January 2009.

WTF president V.L. Indira Dutt told media persons here on Sunday that the three-day conference, scheduled to be held from January 9, was likely to draw participation of close to 4,000 Telugu people from across the length and breadth of the world.

Mellifluous language

Ms. Dutt said Telugu was a mellifluous language and it retained its vibrancy despite being ravaged by the vagaries of history.

It held an amazing cultural and emotional appeal to millions of Telugus within India and overseas. Thanks to globalisation,

Telugu was reduced to nothing more than just a means of communication. She emphasised the need to form a forum to arrest this trend and make Telugus understand and appreciate the significance of their heritage and emotionally reintegrate themselves into a robust cultural group.

“Through this event, we want to create a common platform for Telugu people all over the world to join our endeavour to further strengthen the language bond and augment traditional practices,” she said.

Formed in 1992, the federation held its first conference in New York in 1993.

The federation had close to 80 affiliated organisations.

Ms. Dutt said it was heartening to see women taking active part in the federation activities and pointed out that a large number of women had enrolled in the federation’s executive committee this year.

Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal promised all help at the local level for the success of the mega event.

Industrialist Gokaraju Gangaraju, who is the regional convener for the conference, said various events to be presented by different wings of the federation would be organised simultaneously in Fr. Devaiah auditorium on the campus of Andhra Loyola College and Siddhartha auditorium. Federation vice-president K. Sucharita Reddy, secretary-general S. Jayshree Rao, Member of Legislative Council Ilapuram Venkaiah and others were present.