Naidu bats for Telugu in Singapore schools

Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday called for Telugu to be taught as a second language in Singapore schools.

Naidu, who reached here earlier in the day, was addressing a diaspora event at the One World International School Digital Campus here. He is in Singapore on a five-day official visit to showcase Andhra Pradesh as an attractive investment destination.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated a CXO (chief experience officer) Club, to leverage the expertise of Telugu-origin chief executives in various multinational corporations across the world.

According to a community leader, Singapore has around 40,000 people of Telugu origin. Tamil is also one of the four official languages in Singapore (other three being Malay, English and Mandarin). Besides, Hindi and Punjabi are also taught in Singapore schools as mother tongue-languages.

“In his speech, CM Naidu called for Telugu to be taught in Singapore schools. He told me to take up the issue of allowing Telugu as a second language with the Singapore government,” said Indian High Commissioner Dr Shilpak Ambule.

During Naidu's interaction with people of Telugu-origin and other Indian communities, he also announced a plan to launch of Global Export-Import cell on his return to Andhra Pradesh in all-out efforts to promote entrepreneurship among 30 lakhs Non-Resident Telugu people living in 128 countries. "Telugu NRIs remit some Rs 30,000 crore annually to the state, I hope to see it increasing in the coming years," said Naidu.

Naidu also shared about his P4 programme which is a ‘public-private-people partnerships' which will have affluent individuals mentoring underprivileged members of the society to improve everybody's living standard, it said.

Those who attended the event included Telugu entrepreneurs, company representatives, investors and professionals from different countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.

The event was organised by the Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRT).