Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Language panel to submit plans for fund utilisation

A.B.K. Prasad

VISAKHAPATNAM: Chairman of Official Language Commission A.B.K. Prasad has said that a draft plan proposing utilisation of Rs.100 crores that would be available after the Telugu was deservedly conferred the status of classical language, would be submitted to the Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy within a few days.

Speaking to The Hindu here on Friday, he said that special chairs would be set up in selected national and international universities to carry on research on classical aspect of the language. There are some historical gaps in respect of its classical nature of the Telugu Language. Efforts would be made to set right these gaps. According to him, many aspects of Telugu language, that existed during Satavahana period, which ended in 3 century AD, had not been recorded because of ‘religious conflicts’. This was brought out by reputed scholars like C.R. Reddy and Tirumala Ramachandra. But the details had not seen the light of the day, he said. These details could push back the existence of Telugu language by several centuries.

On the writ filed in Madras High Court questioning the recommendations of the Expert Committee on conferring the status of classical language on Telugu, Mr. Prasad said that an affidavit would be filed in the court, praying for dismissal of the writ because, the issue was a matter between the Union Government and two States that is Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka (Classical language status was conferred both on Telugu and Kannada), and the court had no jurisdiction over the issue. The final hearing and judgement would be on Dec. 7 and he would go to Chennai on that date.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu