Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Aug 28: Seeking state official language status for Tulu, a delegation of people's representatives from coastal Karnataka met chief minister B S Yediyurappa, and handed over a memorandum seeking to confer state official language status for Tulu.

Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, Mangaluru (north) MLA Dr Bharath Shetty, Puttur MLA Sanjeeva Matandoor, MLCs Pratap Simha Nayak and Shantaram Siddi were present on the occasion.

The memorandum mentions that most of the states have declared languages having good cultural background in their respective states as the official language of the state under article 345-B of the constitution. As per the 2011 census, about 18.05 lac people use Tulu language as official medium of communication, it has been pointed out.

As per the estimate of Karnataka Tulu Academy as well as Tulu institutions and organisations, a total of over 40 lac Tuluvas are spread over different parts of Karnataka including Bengaluru. More than 1.5 crore people using Tulu language have been identified in different fields in the national and global level.

The legislators representing coastal region of Karnataka have urged the state government to take steps, in addition to whatever has already done, and to take such other measures as may be needed to bring pressure on the central government to approve announcement of the Tulu language within the constitutional rules and regulations under article 345. The people's representatives have exhorted the chief minister to make all out efforts to get this recognition and thus meet longstanding demand of Tulunadu.

Yediyurappa has been implored to move proposal as per constitutional laws before the coming assembly session, get approval for the same, submit the approval to the central government and take steps to ensure that the union government gives its approval for the same without fail.