Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav emphasized the importance of teaching children in their mother tongue to boost creativity and intelligence. Speaking at the World Telugu Writers Conference in Vijayawada, Yadav remarked that language development begins with imitation and that cultural heritage and festivals are deeply rooted in one’s native language.
Although his mother tongue is Marathi, Yadav said he studied in Telugu and shared his belief in preserving linguistic traditions. “Mother tongue education enhances intelligence. Parents play a crucial role in ensuring the survival of our Telugu language, which must endure forever,” he said. He criticized the previous YSRCP government for neglecting Telugu education and failing to allocate a building for the Center for the Study of Ancient Telugu Language, despite it being moved to Andhra Pradesh in 2020. Yadav noted that the coalition government has since restarted the center’s activities and will soon provide it with a dedicated facility.
Political System Key to Language Development: MLC Ashok Babu
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLC P. Ashok Babu highlighted the role of politics in preserving languages. He criticized prior administrations for promoting English at the expense of Telugu and stressed that the coalition government is correcting these past mistakes. “The national education system mandates mother tongue education up to fifth grade. We hope to see significant changes in the state’s education system next year,” he said.
Ashok Babu also called for efforts to translate commonly used English terms, such as animal names, into Telugu to revive the language’s prominence. He pledged personal support to ensure Telugu regains its glory among the country’s languages.
