Deputy CM, Etela Address World Telugu Conference

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali and Finance Minister Etela Rajender today addressed the World Telugu Conference on its second day.

Participating in a session of the conference at Indira Priyadarshni Auditorium on Saturday, Mahmood Ali said that it was much easier to learn the Telugu language than it was Urdu.

"I learnt Telugu after joining TRS," he said. He added that Telugu was the most widely spoken language in the country after Hindi.

"Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has taken the right step by making Telugu compulsory from classes 1 to 12 in the state. The World Telugu Conference will help popularize Telugu poetry and literature in a big way, and bring to light those who contributed to the growth and richness of the language," he opined.

Finance Minister E Rajender said that Telangana had the assets of a great language, songs, games, culture and tradition.

"We cannot emphasize enough the roles that songs and cultural programs played in the Telangana statehood movement in moving the hearts of many people," he said.

He batted for people propagating their mother tongues which he said gave much greater happiness than using other languages.

"Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is fond of Telugu. The World Telugu Conference will showcase to the world our great language and culture, and those who contributed to them over the ages," he added, echoing Mahmood Ali's thoughts.