Vijayawada: The Prachya Bhasha Parishad at Andhra Loyola College celebrated International Mother Tongue Day emphasising the significance of preserving and promoting native languages.
Acharya Garapati Umamaheswara Rao and Acharya K Job Sudarshan were the guests at the celebrations.
Former professor of Loyola College Dr K Job Sudarshan, stressed the deep-rooted connection between language and identity. He remarked, “Our mother tongue is akin to our mother herself; forgetting it is like forgetting our very roots.” He further highlighted that the mother tongue is the most natural medium through which one can express emotions freely with loved ones.
Acharya Garapati Umamaheswara Rao, esteemed alumnus and president of the Telugu Language Movement Association, spoke passionately about the declining presence of Telugu in educational institutions.
He questioned, “While only 30,000 jobs are created annually due to English proficiency, should an entire population of 8 crore people prioritise English over their mother tongue?” He emphasised that while learning other languages for career opportunities is essential, one should never neglect their native language, urging attendees to become advocates for their mother tongue.
Rector Fr Dr P R John encouraged students to recognise the importance of language in effective communication. He noted, “Technical skills are vital, but language is the foundation of expression. If that language is our mother tongue, it is even sweeter.”
Fr Dr K M Prabhudas, Vice-Principal of the College, underscored the greatness of one’s mother tongue and the need to cultivate love for it.
Dr K Sekhar, Head of the Department of Oriental Languages, reiterated the need for students to stay connected to their linguistic heritage.
Dr M Srinivas Reddy, Secretary of the Telugu Bhashodyama Samakhya, Acharya R Ravindrabhas, Senior faculty of the Telugu Department, Dr D Kripa Rao, Senior faculty, B Venkateswara Rao, Sanskrit faculty, and Sneha Vimal Shukla, Hindi faculty and over 90 students participated in the programme.
