Aksharasyatha improve cheyyadam ma dhyeyam
Cultural Committee Chairman Shri Venkat Rao Mulpuri is a professor of Electronics and Computer Engineering at George Mason University. Getting him over the phone was a herculean task and Cinema Prapancham finally cornered him last night at a friend’s place in VA. Shri Venkat Rao is also on the Board of trustees of TANA from 2007-2011. “The Telugu-speaking people here have played an important role in bringing TANA to DC again, the first one was hosted here in the year 1981,” says Venkat Rao. Ask him the reason for the split in the Association he quips, “In the early 1990s a group of people belonging to the TANA felt they weren’t getting the positions they would like to have and they formed a seperate association called ATA. But now we are working in tandem to achieve a mutual goal. A split is easy but involves a lot of effort to come together but that is possible.”
“TANA is the only democratic organ in North America,” adds Venkat Rao and says that it is but only a misconception that the association is formed based on the favouritism of a particular caste. He laments that the people back home think that way and rules out any differences between the two associations. He adds, “There is no animosity between the two associations. All I am aware is that we are all Telugu-speaking people and I don’t want to see any differences or segregation of associations based on caste. Infact we have hosted a joint press conference when Shri YS Rajashekar Reddy came here last time.”
“We are happy that Bill Clinton’s presence will make a difference to this current meet in DC and hope Chandrababu Naidu’s presence will add lustre to the festival. This is just a cultural organisation and we do not want to give any political colour to it. It’s just incidental that we have invited them and at the same time are very glad that they have accepted our invitation. Infact after we have announced that Bill Clinton is coming, we have seen a great improvement in registrations. Indian community here, mostly the Telugus, are Democrats and they are visibly elated and are looking forward to Clinton’s visit. But ultimately our goal is underlined..to spread the Telugu language in an unlimited manner.”
