Yerra Naidu, born in Myanmar, has worked to preserve and teach the Telugu language and culture to Indians living in Myanmar. After retiring from his job in India, he compiled the first Telugu-Burmese dictionary and works to document Telugu art and culture for students in Myanmar. Though many Telugu families originally immigrated to Myanmar, over time most lost touch with the Telugu language and customs due to restrictions and lack of access to resources. Naidu aims to reconnect youth with their cultural roots through language education and cultural documentation projects.

1. HYDERABAD HANS Lifestyle Art & Culture SATURDAY 3 September 2011 Guide Celebrations
Growing Ram
Unrequited labour of love
for Telugus in Myanmar
Yerra Naidu’s passion to teach Telugu to Indians in Myanmar prompted
him to come out with the Telugu-Burmese dictionary. Currently he is
on another mission to document the art and culture of Telugus for the
benefit of students in Myanmar. The Hans India’s Venu K Kodimela
looks at the travails of the khalasi-turned-lexicographer.
A
man may settle down in tween the pulls of two equally leave Telugus, went to Burma to trip and this year he at-
any part of the world, enchanting worlds: Moulmein, t h e work but during the Second tended the centenary
but he cannot make a now Mawlamyaing, the main country, World War and later when celebrations of the
clean break with his moorings. trading centre and seaport in but wanted the junta unseated the Andhra Burma Sang-
Their magnetic power will pull south-eastern Myanmar to go back to government in 1962 ham. Telugu actor Ram
him back, like in the case of where he grew up savouring the land of our many returned. Charan Tej was the
Yerra Naidu, who was born on wonderful scenes and smells ancestors,” clari- Several re- guest of honour at the
December 19, 1950 in Myan- and India, the great land of his fies Naidu. strictions function organised by Yerra Naidu with a certificate issued
mar (Burma), spent his adult ancestors that he also ad- Thousands of In- were the All Myanmar
by Sri Vinayaka Dewalaya Dhar-
years in India, and has done mires. “We were not forced to dians, especially im- Hindu Religious Society
yeoman service for the Telu- on February 7, 2011. mashala in Myanmar.
gus in his native place. During his interac-
After his father’s death in tions with the Telugu speak- ing to teach Telugu to young-
Burma in 1963, the family ing community, Naidu sters.
started preparing to return to saw sustained in- The ancestors of Naidu hail
Visakhapatnam, where their terest in the from Sontyam village in Anan-
close relatives still live. beautiful lan- dapuram mandal of Visakhap-
His uncle supported the posed on foreign na- guage. To his atnam district. Some of them
family in their hour of cri- tionals. They were surprise, four live in Myanmar and still
C hildhood memories are al-
ways a treasure. For Ram-
charan Tej, the young Tollywood
sis. Through them the fam-
ily gathered that Naidu’s
maternal grandmother had
neither allowed to acquire
property nor sell it. They had
to pay additional tax. Even
schools there offer Telugu maintain the old family values
courses and many students of Indians. They live in a joint
are pursuing them. family in which elders com-
hero, they have to somewhat retained Indian citizenship, today there are about four What touched Naidu’s heart mand respect and rule the
more; for, he is the son of a mega though all the family members lakh descendants of Telugu- was the sight of a student roost.
star who reigned supreme in the acquired Myanmar citizen- speaking Indians in Myanmar. nurse teaching Telugu to Naidu’s children – two sons
tinsel town till he entered active ship. Most of them have lost touch eager students in the evening and a daughter are well set-
politics. Here are some rare pic- In 1966 the family came back with Telugu language, art and in one of the schools. When he tled. His eldest son is working
tures that show Ramcharan in to Visakhapatnam, with culture. Some are quite good asked the children why they with the Power Grid Corpora-
his early years, selected from his Naidu joining the Central at it, but there are many who wanted to learn Telugu, they tion. The younger one is a
personal album and made avail- Public Works Department as a want to know more about Tel- replied: “It is our language. We software professional. His
able to the media when he khalasi in 1977. In 1989, he ugu literature and arts. want to know about our race daughter is a homemaker.
cs
launched the Hyderabad Polo joined the newly constituted hi and culture.” That day he re- “Some of them manage to
ap Telugu culture
Team at Taj Krishna on Friday. National Airports Authority of
s Gr solved to compile a Telugu- watch Telugu TV channels.
India. He retired from service n Burmese and a They are shocked to learn
More photos and in 2010 as a Senior Superin- Ha After returning to India, Burmese-Telugu dictionary. about atrocities committed on
story on P II tendent (Operator). Naidu visited Myanmar twice. He felt that there was dire girls and women back home
All along, Naidu was torn be- In 2001, he went on a 14-day need for a dictionary while try- (Continued on P II)
Govt dumps revised master plan,
allows construction on lake bed
Y
ears after the According to the District
HUDA (now HMDA) Collector and Executive
proposed a ‘Revised Engineer, North Tanks Di-
Master Plans’ for balanced vision, Hyderabad’s report
integration of urban area, the above mentioned site
the State government now does not cover under FTL
declares it to be a wrong of Fox Sagar (the water
report allowing residential body at Dullapally) and
structure near a water the inflow is passing far
body at Dullapally. except green belt). away from the mentioned
According to the notified While the Ranga Reddy site. Now the government
revised master plan for the District Collectorate gave has allowed an unknown
non-municipal area in a contradictory report to applicant to go with build-
Survey numbers:122/A, HUDA’s master plan after ing residential structures
124/E & 124/A at Dulla- conducting a joint inspec- at the site. Objection of a
pally, Quthubullapur, RR tion after receiving direc- city-based environmental-
District, the site is partly tions from the ist, Captain J Rama Rao,
open space use zone, government. The inspec- has thrown light on the
partly water body use zone tion was conducted on issue who petitioned the
and partly buffer belt use November 12, 2010. government appealing to
zone ( a specified distance The HUDA’s master plan cancel the order of change
of 30 meters) from the
edge of the water where no
structures are permitted
was proposed to ensure a
quality urban life for citi-
zens.
Coveted award for of land use and conduct a
strict scrutiny to establish
the facts.
HANS TUNES
Rao
Respect poets and writers, Falaknuma Palace
T
aj Falaknuma mer glory and putting meticulously crafted to
Dasarathi tells activists Palace, which is
considered to be a
precious jewel of Hyder-
abad, has a new feather
Hyderabad firmly on the
traveller’s trail. Combin-
ing state-of-the-art facil-
ities and conveniences of
exceed guest expecta-
tions making this scor-
pion shaped palace the
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D
asarathi Ran- penned by his brother in its cap. It was voted a luxury hotel along hotel with distinguished
gacharya, the liv- Dr Dasarathi Krishna- as the seventh-best in with the exclusivity of a guests from around the
ing legend of macharya, who has since the world's Top 100 royal residence, Taj world.
classical Telugu prose diseased, was unveiled leisure hotels. It won the Falaknuma Palace re- The 14th successful
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spect and honour writers tor, Doordarshan. egory for Asia and the eler. Awards were announced
in their quest. “One Another book, a transla- Indian sub-continent. Once the sole preserve on August 31. The
should not forget the fact tion of Poet Iqbal’s Taj Mahal Palace, Mum- of visiting royalty the awards give readers of
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their voice or presence, latha, former vice Falaknuma Palace was suites, horse drawn Taj Falaknuma Palace
no movement will ever Dasarathi being felicitated on his 84th birthday. Chancellor of Telugu opened last year after chariot arrivals, extraor- has been the recipient of
Due to hike in prices, I can succeed” the octogenar- University. Mrinalini, 10 years of restoration, dinary fine dining expe- numerous other awards,
offer only chai-samosa ian poet said. birthday at a function garaja Gana Sabha on writer chaired the func- bringing this famed riences, an award including being featured
Dr Rangacharya was organized by Yuva Friday. On the occasion, tion. Dr Rangacharya’s home of the legendary winning Jiva Spa, im- in the Condé Nast Hot
as prasadam Swami! felicitated on his 84th kalavahini in Thya- two books (poetry) (Continued on P II) Nizams back to its for- peccable butler services List 2011