Guntur: Assembly Speaker Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu on Saturday asserted that Telugu is not merely a spoken language but a reflection of the people’s lifestyle and rich cultural heritage. He was addressing the inaugural session of the three-day 3rd World Telugu Conference, organised under the aegis of the Andhra Saraswatha Parishad at the Sri Sathya Sai Spiritual City in Guntur.

Recalling earlier times, the Speaker said festivals such as Sankranti, Dasara, Ugadi and Sri Rama Navami once filled villages with festive fervour, with Haridasus and Gangireddulu adding to the cultural vibrancy.

He expressed concern that many such traditions are gradually fading and stressed that it is the responsibility of parents to pass on the greatness of Telugu language, culture and traditions to future generations. He called for collective efforts to restore Telugu’s past glory.

Ayyanna Patrudu paid rich tributes to former chief minister N T Rama Rao, describing him as a towering personality who took Telugu pride to national and international platforms.

He recalled that NTR opened the doors of politics to common people and noted that it was NTR who gave him the opportunity to become an MLA at the age of 25, a journey that eventually led him to the post of Speaker.

Emphasising the importance of education in the mother tongue at the primary level, the Speaker urged intellectuals participating in the conference to submit resolutions aimed at the development of the Telugu language. He assured that such resolutions would be introduced, discussed and implemented through the government in forthcoming Assembly sessions.

Supreme Court judge Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha said language is not merely a medium to express thoughts but has the power to create an entire world. He observed that language binds people together and provides identity and advocated making Telugu mandatory for court proceedings up to the district level. He also underlined the need to pass on the richness of Telugu culture to future generations. Andhra Saraswatha Parishad president Ghazal Srinivas was also present at the event.