T culture getting ridiculed: TRS outfit

Telangana Jagruti,the cultural outfit of TRS, on Friday submitted a 40-page report on Ignorance of Telangana culture the way the Telangana dialect has been ridiculed since the formation of Andhra Pradesh to Srikrishna Committee member Secretary V K Duggal in New Delhi. According to the president of the cultural wing, K Kavita, the report explained that many Telangana people are ashamed to speak Telangana Telugu. They see it as lowly language, something more suitable for a coolie, a worker or a sweeper. To be sophisticated and to reach higher echelons of society, they think they should speak Andhra Telugu. Even the Telugu movies perpetuate the same image the goon, the villain and the comedian speak Telangana dialect while invariably the hero and the heroine speak Andhra Telugu. Some people inculcate a sense of shame into their kids for being born in Telangana and they do their best to get rid of the Telangana tag by teaching their kids to speak Andhra Telugu. In government offices, universities and colleges, Telugu dialect is ridiculed and people of Telangana are treated as second grade citizens in every aspect, the report said.

It also explained the history of the erstwhile Hyderabad state, the post-independence situation and cultural diversities between Andhra and Telangana.  Kavitha pointed out in the report that the history of Telangana region and the very name of Telangana are also not seen in text books that are printed in the combined state. The Andhra festivals are highlighted as Telugu culture and are part of school and college syllabi where as the Telangana festivals like Bathukamma and Bonalu, celebrated by all people in 10 districts of Telangana, are not mentioned in the text books. Clear division of the history and culture of Telangana region can be seen when one goes through text books. Generations of Telangana youth were kept in the dark about culture and history of the region, the report adds. She said heritage sites and monuments in Telangana region are also being neglected. To name a few Kotilingala, Keesaragutta and Phanigiri monuments are not protected.

Small states will give better benefits to the masses, help create wealth and contribute to the development of the nation, Kavitha said. She added that Telangana state does not require any special financial aid for the construction of its state capital as the centuriesold Hyderabad is located in the heart of Telangana.
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(source-toi)