Call to include Tulu in 8th Schedule of Constitution

Union ministers, members of Parliament and other leaders, who participated in a meeting held here on Friday, demanded that the Centre include Tulu in the eighth Schedule of the Constitution to protect the identity of the language.

Former Union Minister Oscar Fernandes chaired the meeting. Over 50 lakh people speak Tulu, the leaders said. “Tulu is a rich language and has a great history and one can find Tulu words being used in Greek dramas as this land had good bilateral relations with far-away nations,” writer Purushothama Bilimale said.

The State had earlier recommended inclusion of Tulu in the eighth schedule of the Constitution. Bilimale called upon the Union Ministers and MPs to help fulfil the long-standing demand. The meeting also discussed the proposed “Delhi Tulu Siri-2013,” a World Tulu meet at the national capital scheduled on February 24.

Union Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily, Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, leaders from Karnataka— Jayaprakash Hegde, Ramesh Jigajinagi, P C Gaddigowdar, Basavaraj Patil Sedam, H Vishwanath, J Rama Krishna, Shivarame Gowda, P C Mohan, Anil Lad, Shivakumar Udasi, M Shivanna, H M Revanna and others participated in the meeting.