On Monday, Abdul Majeed, president of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in Karnataka, wrote an open letter to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar demanding that Urdu be accorded official language status across the state. The appeal follows the Karnataka Cabinet’s recent decision to recognise Tulu as an additional official language for administrative work in Mangaluru and Udupi districts.
Majeed argued that acknowledging languages, cultures and linguistic identities strengthens Karnataka's pluralistic and democratic fabric. He highlighted Urdu's long‑standing presence in the state, pointing to its rich literary tradition, newspapers, educational institutions and cultural legacy.
Using 2011 Census figures, the SDPI leader noted that Urdu appears among the major mother tongues in Karnataka. He also cited the 2024‑25 school education report, which records 3,934 government Urdu‑medium schools and 302 aided Urdu‑medium schools. A falling enrolment trend in these institutions, he warned, calls for immediate government action to improve infrastructure, teaching staff and other essential facilities.
While reaffirming Kannada as the principal language of Karnataka, Majeed stressed that extending official status to one language should not preclude the rights of another. He asked that the same principle applied to Tulu, which enjoys deep cultural roots in coastal Karnataka, be extended to Urdu, given its sizable speaker base and established educational network.
The party invoked Article 345 of the Constitution, which permits state legislatures to adopt one or more languages for official purposes. As a reference model, Majeed mentioned Telangana, where Urdu enjoys second‑official language status, suggesting Karnataka could craft a suitable administrative framework for its linguistic diversity.
SDPI concluded that its demand does not oppose Tulu's recognition but seeks equal consideration for the linguistic and educational rights of Urdu‑speaking communities in Karnataka.
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📰 Source: Mangalorean News