Take pride in using Telugu: CJI N V Ramana

Hyderabad: Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Thursday said there was a need to preserve the Telugu language and culture, and there should be pride in using the language. The achievements of Telugus should be celebrated, Justice Ramana said, adding, “A person should be proud of his mother tongue and the traditions in which he is raised.”

He said that many Telugus have contributed to all spheres of the society not only in their native places, but across India, and all over the world. He cited the example of the Ramineni Foundation which was incorporated in the USA by the late Dr Ramineni Ayyanna Chowdary who was steadfast in following, and propagating Indian, and particularly Telugu culture.

The Chief Justice was speaking after presenting the ‘Puraskaarams 2020 & 2021’ in the evening at a function hosted by the Ramineni Foundation. Awards were conferred  on personalities from across India for their contribution towards society, chosen from a cross spectrum of fields in arts, science and humanities.

Praising the awardees, he said that many Telugus were self-made without a god father and rose from the lowest rung to the pinnacle of success. He observed that many Telugus suffer from a lot of inhibitions and an inferiority complex. “It is high time that we come out of our shell and showcase our culture and support our traditions,” he said.

Making a special mention to Bharat Biotech Founder chairman and managing director Dr Krishna M. Ella, and joint managing director Suchitra M. Ella, the Chief Justice praised them for their unstinted dedication in making Covaxin, the anti-Covid vaccine an international name despite resistance from international pharmaceutical giants who tried to scuttle their efforts.

The 2020 list of  awardees are Nabard chairman G.R. Chintala, TV anchor Suma Kanakala, Healing Hastha Herbals Pvt. Ltd managing director B. Masthan Yadav and Dwarkamai Seva Trust managing trustee Bandlamudi Srinivas.

The awardees for 2021 are Bharat Biotech founder chairman and managing director Dr Krishna M. Ella  and joint managing director Suchitra M. Ella, Telugu film comedian Brahmanandam, professor and head of anaesthesiology at NIMS Dr Durga Padmaja and Telugu film journalist S.V. Rama Rao.