Thaindian News

New Delhi, Mar 29 (ANI): Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari on Tuesday dwelt upon the working of the “three language formula” in the country.

Addressing after releasing a book entitled ‘Sahastra Varson ka Telugu Sahitya’ brought out by the Andhra Pradesh Hindi Academy at a function here, Ansari said that while in the non-Hindi speaking States, students learn Hindi either a second or third language, the same is not happening in Hindi speaking States.

“It is indeed a rare student in the Hindi speaking States who learns a South Indian or other non-Hindi language,” he added.

He emphasised on the means and incentives to encourage students from Hindi speaking States to learn one of the southern languages.

“Needless to add, a student should be able to study their mother tongue as well as the official language of their State,” he added.

Lauding the efforts of Andhra Pradesh Hindi Academy for bringing out this publication, Ansari said that such cultural and literary exchange made directly from one Indian language to another, without the inter mediation of English, would promote National Integration and understanding.

He said that Telugu has rightly been called the ‘Italian of the East’.

“Today, it constitutes the second largest spoken Indian language and is not only recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the constitution but has been accorded the status of a classical language keeping in view its proven antiquity of over 1500 years,” he said.

“This publication covers the evolution of the language over one thousand years, including in modern popular cinema and other art forms. More importantly, it makes available glimpses of Telugu literature to a wider Hindi speaking audience,” he added. ( ANI)