Declare Tulu as state’s official language, demands delegation

Declare Tulu as state’s official language, demands delegation

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 28, 2020:   In May 2013, Congress MLA K Vasanth Bangera was asked to take oath twice.

Reason: Bangera representing Belthangady Assembly constituency had first taken oath in Tulu language. Then pro tem Speaker Malikayya Guttedar had reprimanded Bangera for taking oath in Tulu language as it did not figure among the 22 official languages recognised by the Constitution. Bangera thus was forced to take oath again.

 

Seven years later, Moodbidri MLA Umanath A Kotian, leading a six-member delegation, submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, in Bengaluru on Thursday, urging government to declare Tulu language as Karnataka’s official language.

Kotian, who had earlier served as president of Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy, had made many attempts to get Centre recognise Tulu language under the Eight Schedule of the Constitution. Kotian urged Yediyurappa to declare Tulu language as official language under the Article 345 (b) of Indian Constitution.

Kotian informed the CM that Tulu language had a rich history of over 3,000 years and was one of the five major languages of Dravidian linguistic family. Quoting experts like Dr Chidananda Murthy, he said languages like Tamil and Malayalam had evolved from Tulu’s original Tigalari script.

“Thousands of palm-leaf manuscripts in Tigalari script can be found in the collections of religious institutions,” the memorandum stated.

Moodbidri BJP MLA quoting 2011 census said 18.5 lakh people spoke Tulu language.

He said if the state recognised Tulu as an official language, a five-decade-old dream would be fulfilled. Those present in the delegation included DK District In-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, Mangalore North MLA Dr Y Bharat Shetty, newly elected MLCs Pratapsimha Nayak and Shantaram Siddi.

Courtesy:Deccan Herald