Berhampur: Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy, on whose birthday Andhra Pradesh observes Telugu Language Day on August 29 every year, has an Odisha link. Gidugu spent 55 years of his life in Paralakhemundi, the district headquarters of Gajapati in Odisha.
He was a renowned teacher in the FA class of Maharajah’s college Paralakhemundi.
Gidugu (1863-1940) was a Telugu writer and one of the earliest modern Telugu linguists and social visionaries during the British rule. He championed the cause of using a language comprehensible to the common man (‘Vyavaharika Bhasha’) as opposed to the scholastic language (‘Grandhika Bhasha’).
Gidugu was an eminent language visionary; as a pedagogue he was decades ahead of his time. He recognized the primacy of oracy and the efficacy of the by now accepted ‘direct method’ of language teaching. For teaching Telugu, he wanted the spoken language to be the medium of instruction; this engulfed him in a war with the orthodox Sanskrit-educated pundits, which sometimes turned vitriolic.
Due to Gidugu’s tenacity and commitment, sishta vyavaharika (standard, current, and spoken language) gained currency and acceptance. To drive home his pedagogic, literary, humanistic, and modernizing thoughts, Gidugu boldly, untiringly and persuasively used the press, publications, the public platform, social discourse, and even pamphleteering, never once losing his cool and objectivity in argument.
Between 1910 and 1914, he went about talking, arguing, convincing, making rapid strides even in the face of stiff opposition.
Balakavisaranyam, Gadya Chintamani, Andhra Pandita Bhishakkula Bhasha Bheshajam and Vyasavali are his efforts to convince and plead with his opponents to see reason. Ramamurthy saw in his own lifetime people seeing his point and rallying round him. Kandukuri Veeresalingam Pantulu founded Vartamana Vyavaaharikandhra Bhasha Parivartaka Samajam and as its president endorsed Gidugu’s views. Andhra Sahitya Parshat, Kakinada, withdrew from the fight in 1924. In 1933, Abhinavandhra Kavi Panditasabha, under the chairmanship of Chilukuri Narayana Rao Pantulu, resolved that modern vyavaharika must be the medium of instruction. In 1936 a journal was started publishing articles in the current cultivated Telugu. In 1937, Tapi Dharma Rao started a periodical in this style; the government and the universities had to listen to reason.
Gidugu gave a social base to Telugu literature and rendered services to the tribals, especially the Savaras, in Parlakimidi area of Srikakulam agency area and tirelessly worked for the development of tribal languages, he gave Savara language a script and prepared lexicons. During his research for Savara language, he had to travel in the forests resulting in excessive use of quinine due to which he became deaf.
His works include Kalinga (Odisha) Charitra’ , Developed language script and prepared lexicons for the ‘Savara’ people (Munda tribe), Sora-English Dictionary , Savara Patalu and others.
Nicknamed as Pidugu rhyming with his surname, Gidugu was born at Parvatalapeta in Srikakulam near Vamsadhara River on the border of Odisha on August 29, 1863. His father Veeraraju worked as Revenue Inspector and died when Ramamurthy was just 12 years old, it was a struggle for him to survive. He studied and passed his matriculation staying in his sister’s house and began his life as a teacher in Paralakhemundi.
‘Kalinga Charitra’ Developed language script and prepared lexicons for the ‘Savara’ people Sora-English Dictionary Savara Patalu The British Government conferred on him the title of Rao Saheb not for loyalty to the Crown but for his service to the Savaras, to pedagogy and to Telugu. The British Government conferred on him the title of ‘Kaisar-i-Hind’ medal on him in the year of 1933 for his services.
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