The Hindu : Front Page : Filmstars, leaders make beeline for TANA meet in U.S.

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Wednesday, Jun 27, 2007
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Filmstars, leaders make beeline for TANA meet in U.S.

Suresh Krishnamoorthy

10,000 Telugu-speaking people to attend conference

TANA meet held every odd year since
1977
Mahesh Babu and Ileana also to be
present

HYDERABAD: For the past week or so, every US-bound flight from Hyderabad has ferried delegates to the land of opportunity for the conference of the Telugu Association of North America (TANA).

Every odd year since 1977, TANA conferences have been held at different venues across the length and breadth of the United States, coinciding with the week-end of the July 4, American Independence Day.

The 2007 conference will be held at the Washington Convention Center in the US capital and organisers expect about 10,000 Telugu-speaking people to attend.

The galaxy of delegates comprises political leaders cutting across party lines, CEOs of dozens of companies, NRIs with roots in Andhra Pradesh, those known for their cultural and literary traits and the like.

Among the star speakers are Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu and the ‘Sudarshan Kriya’ proponent and founder of Art of Living Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The glamour component will be more-than-adequately filled with the presence of film stars Mahesh Babu and Ileana, the “hot” lead pair in ‘Pokiri’, the biggest Telugu hit of 2006, not to forget Nandamuri Balakrishna. Several small and big Congress and TDP leaders are also packing their bags for Washington DC.

Business sessions

On behalf of the State Government and in a bid to reinforce Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s appeal made to NRIs on his trip to USA last month, State Ministers Galla Aruna (Medical Education and Health Insurance), R. Damodar Reddy (IT) and Pinnamaneni Venkateswara Rao (Rural Water Supply) will be making their pitch at the business sessions to be held at the Hyatt. Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development D. Purandareswari and Congress MP Madhu Yakshi are also attending the meet.

The sessions broadly fall in four categories – politics, business opportunities, culture and literature. Leading the session on the literary front will be Medasani Mohan.

Gummadi Venkateswara Rao will receive a lifetime achievement award for his contribution as the best-remembered character artist over the decades.

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