Mangaluru, September 8 – The Karnataka state cabinet is scheduled to convene in Mangaluru, and the All India Tulu Union is pressing the government to declare Tulu the state’s second official language.
Union President A.C. Bhandary told reporters that Tulu, one of the five Dravidian tongues, boasts the oldest literary tradition among them.
More than 1.8 million residents of the coastal belt identify Tulu as their mother tongue, and the language functions as both a cultural and commercial medium in Tulu Nadu.
Despite a rich corpus of literature, ancient stone inscriptions and a distinct script, Tulu remains absent from the state’s official language list and is not included in the Constitution’s eighth schedule.
The union says it has already submitted the necessary paperwork, drawing on resolutions passed at the World Tulu Conference in Ujire, petitions from several local bodies and a detailed report prepared by a committee chaired by Dr. M. Mohan Alva.
Legislators from the region – both MLAs and MPs – have repeatedly raised the issue in the assembly and parliament, arguing that the upcoming cabinet meeting in Mangaluru presents a timely opportunity for formal recognition.
P.A. Poojary, secretary of the union, and vice‑presidents including B. Jayakara Shetty Ind, appealed to all elected representatives from the coast to back the demand unanimously, stressing that official status would safeguard the linguistic heritage of Tuluvas.
The union’s final statement reiterated that the request reflects the collective will of the Tulu‑speaking community and calls on the state government to act before the cabinet concludes its session.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Vartha Bharati DK