Berhampur plays host to National Telugu meet

• The first five conferences were held in Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai before it was decided to organise the sixth one in Berhampur, which, along with the neighboring southern Orissa regions, has a sizeable Telugu population.Around 40 per cent population of Berhampur, located close to Andhra Pradesh and once part of erstwhile Madras Presidency, are Telugu speaking.
• Naveen Patnaik mentions names of V.V. Giri, Kota Harinarayan Rao and U.Lakshmana Rao as worthy sons of Berhampur.
• Former prime minister P V Narsimha Rao won the Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency in 1996.

BERHAMPUR: An initiative to make the Telugu-speaking people, who are residing outside Andhra Pradesh, to interact and know about their language, literature and culture has brought the community’s annual meet to Berhampur in Orissa. The sixth all-India Telugu conference was inaugurated in the city yesterday. It is being organised jointly by Poti Sriramulu Telugu University, Mandali Venkat Krishna Rao (MVKR) International Telugu Centre of Andhra Pradesh in coordination with Andhra Bhashabivardhini Samajam Berhampur and other Telugu organisations of Orissa. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who inaugurated the conference, hoped that the conference would strengthen the cultural ties between the two states. “Orissa, the land of Lord Jagannath, advocates equality for all. The Telugu community in Orissa, especially in the southern region have contributed significantly to the economic and cultural growth of our state. Today there are many households in Orissa who celebrate both Oriya and Telugu festivals with equal enthusiasm. Berhampur being in the forefront and contributed significantly in developing the blend of culture,” he said. Delivering the inaugural address at the thee-day AITC at the City High School Grounds, he said Berhampur alone had contributed great leaders like the former President of India, V.V. Giri, Russian language expert Uppala Lakshmana Rao and aerospace scientist Kota Harinarayana, are among the Telugus of Berhampur who have left an indelible mark in the national scene and made Berhampur and Orissa proud, he noted..“ About 50 per cent of the 16 crore Telugu people live outside Andhra Pradesh and there are 40 lakh of them in Orissa who are contributing to its economy and culture,” he said, adding that it was only appropriate that the conference was being held in Orissa. Naveen lauded the organisers for holding the conference outside AP and trying to bring all Telugu-speaking on one platform. Andhra Pradesh Principal Secretary of Tourism and Culture, S. Chellappa, announced that the State would release Rs.10 lakh to Prakasam Pantulu Hall of Andhra Bhashabhivardhani Samajam in Berhampur. He also invited Telugu scholars and personalities from Berhampur to participate in the World Telugu Conference to be held in Tirupati this year. The function was chaired by Vice-Chancellor of PSTU A. Bhoomaiah. Earlier, organising committee chairman P. Satyanarayana welcomed the gathering.

Source: The Telegraph & The Hindu