Alfred North Whitehead, a notable English mathematician, logician, educator and philosopher, once said, "It is in literature that the concrete outlook of humanity receives its expression."
And especially in today's globalised world, for every culture, it becomes even more critical to preserve and promote its literature.
And taking this sentiment forward was a recently held 8th World Telugu Literary Conference that was held successfully non-stop for 24 hours for the first time in New Zealand. For the uninitiated, World Telugu Literary Conference is a conference for the furtherance of the Telugu language. Literary luminaries attend and share their views on spreading and preserving the Telugu language.
Organised by New Zealand Telugu Association (NZTA), Vanguri Foundation of America and six other organisations from India, Singapore, Australia, Norway, Canada and South Africa, the event saw numerous diaspora Telugu Writers from around the world coming together at Sai Baba Community Centre, Onehunga over the weekend (September 17 and 18)
The event was inaugurated by Hon Consul of India in Auckland Bhav Dhillon, who highlighted the contribution of diaspora writers to world literature and its constant importance.
The program kicked off with the presentation of a research study done by Rekha Kuncha on the role of attitude in language shift and maintenance in the Telugu community submitted in 2001 at the University of Auckland, followed by research done by Lahari Kasarla on the use of Telugu language by young adults in 2021.
The conference also took place online, with over 150 Telugu poets, writers and scholars from about 30 countries in five continents presenting papers and their literary work, which was viewed by over 10,000 worldwide.
Srilatha Magatala of NZTA and Dr Raju Vanguri of Vanguri Foundation of America from Houston, Texas, conducted the proceedings with a touch of humour. The proceedings in 11 literary forums were conducted online by many stalwarts in Telugu literature from various countries. The event was broadcast live on many YouTube and Facebook channels.
Many talented artists and organisations like Sangeeta Bharathi represented by Dr Padma Mallela and her students, Sushma Kuncha and Abhishek Ravi of Anuradha School of dance, Vasu Kunapuli of SG consultants, Rhythm School of dance, Hiral Pusarla and Kavya Itla of Wondergirls performed at the event.
NZTA’s President Anitha Mogilicharla revealed that on both days, the event was very well planned and attended by almost 150 people. She said, “It is great that the event garnered an unprecedented response from speakers from various countries worldwide."
NZTA’s General Secretary Suneel Kuncha Said, “This is the second International event organised by NZTA successfully. We look forward to organising many more such events soon.”
Even the guests appreciated the initiative and had all the praises for the organisers.
One of the attendees, Kala Srihari, said, “Telugu is one of the most beautiful languages and the fourth most spoken language in India. It is called "The Italian of the East" because Niccol de Conti, a 16th-century Italian traveller, found that the Telugu language finishes with vowels just like the Italian language. Very proud to be part of 8th World Telugu Sahithi Sadassu organised by NZTA.”
Another guest Sridevi Krishna Pusarla said that the event provided the youth with the richness and heritage of the Telugu language. "It is a great event for not only us but for the younger generation as well. Such events provide the youth with the richness and heritage of the Telugu language. It was inspiring to listen to knowledgeable guest speakers from around the world and our local speakers enriching us on how to love and care for our Telugu language. I thank NZTA for organising such great events.”
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