Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)
Mangaluru, Jan 25: “Various protests have taken place in the past several years urging to add Tulu language to the Eighth Schedule and give it the status of an official language. Tulunadu and the language are being continuously discriminated right from the beginning. When we raise our voice in this regard, governments give a lame excuse of a law issue and do not give respect to the feelings of people. That is why responsible citizens like us of Tulunadu should unite as one, keeping aside party, religion, and caste and draw the attention of the government,” said former MLA Mohiuddin Bawa at a press conference on Thursday January 25.
“There are many states in our country where more than one language is declared as an official language. States like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand have more than one language as the official language. Hence, from January 29 to February 2, responsible citizens like us will have to urge the chief minister of Karnataka and Prime Minister of our country through Indian post registered post to make the Tulu language an official language,” Bawa further added.
Vijaya Kumar Kodialbail said, “All organizations, leaders of political parties, Tulu state and cinema artistes, eminent personalities, traders and businessmen of Tulunadu should support this campaign. I also request all organizations, including Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, to support this campaign for Tulu language, which is like the sister language of Kannada.
“More than 25 lac Tulu speaking people live in places like Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kasargod, Teerthahalli, Hosanagara, Sagara, Shringeri, Koppa, Narasimharajapura, Mudigere, Sakleshpur, Mumbai and Pune. All have to lead the campaign and send at least 10000 appeal letters to PM Modi and CM Siddaramaiah. At least before the next budget session, a decision in this regard needs to be taken by the government on the Tulu language which has a script,” he said.
Dayananda Kattalsaar, H K Sharif, and Shailesh were present.