Retired Justice NV Ramana Advocates for Mother Tongue Preservation in Andhra Pradesh
Former Chief Justice of India, Justice NV Ramana, made significant recommendations to the Andhra Pradesh (AP) government during his address as the chief guest at the 6th World Telugu Writers’ Conference held at KBN College on Saturday.
Justice Ramana emphasized the need to establish the Potti Sriramulu Telugu University in the state at the earliest. Highlighting the importance of preserving Telugu language and culture, he urged the government to focus on policies that protect and promote the mother tongue.
He called for the revocation of Government Order No. 85, issued by the YSRCP government, which mandated English as the medium of instruction from Grade 1 in government schools.
Justice Ramana suggested reinstating the previous education system and adopting measures similar to those implemented by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for safeguarding regional languages.
The former Chief Justice stressed the importance of balancing modernization with tradition, stating that while borrowing positive aspects from foreign languages and cultures is acceptable, blind imitation can lead to adverse consequences.
He remarked that the onus of preserving the Telugu language lies with the people, and the movement to protect the language should not be seen as anti-government.
Justice Ramana also criticized the misconception that proficiency in English alone guarantees investment opportunities or employment, describing it as flawed thinking. He urged policymakers to focus on holistic development that respects cultural and linguistic diversity.
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