Karnataka Telugu Mahasabhas facing a rough weather

Friday May 26 2006 10:55 IST

BELLARY: Trouble seems to be brewing for the state-level Karnataka Telugu Mahasabhas, organised by the Karnataka Telugu federation for two days from may 27 here, with the Kannada Rakshana Vedike raising a banner of revolt.

The harmony prevailing for decades between the two Dravidian languages is being threatened now as the vedike had categorically stated that it would not tolerate any programme that would be a threat to Kannada language and culture and would stage a protest on Saturday. It had also cautioned elected representatives against attending the mahasabhas.

Responding sharply to the vedike's statements, the federation denied that the mahasabhas posed a threat to any culture or language.

Talking to newspersons here on Thursday, federation president Jayaprakash J Gupta said the objective of organising the mahasabha in this district, bordering Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and having a sizeable Telugu-speaking population, was to promote the Telugu culture and language. It was purely a delegates' meeting and Kannadigas need not worry as the federation would not take up programmes hurting their feelings.

He said the federation had instituted the Raghava-Doddana Gowda award, which would be presented to ten eminent persons from Kannada and Telugu field. A seminar would be organised on the relation between Telugu and Kannada, developed as fraternal languages from the era of Krishnadeva Raya.

Courtesy: NewIndPress