JOIN US Members of Tulunadu Rakshana Vedike have demanded classical language status for Tulu and the inclusion of the language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
Speaking at a protest rally organised at Clock Tower, Vedike Founder President Yogish Shetty Jeppu said Tulu language represents the ancient culture of Tulunadu which spreads over the erstwhile Dakshina Kannada district.
He said the official language of Tulunadu is Tulu. Despite this reality, the generosity of the people in this region has supported the existence of Kannada language. Tulu is one of the Dravidian languages which has a rich legacy, he added.
Shetty said Russian scholar M S Andrewnov focuses on the affluent legacy of Tulu language and says that the Tulu is the language that was segregated from the original Dravidian languages some 2,000 years ago. Manuscripts written in Tulu language date back to time immemorial. The language has also been mentioned in the Sangama Literature of Tamil and in Greek Mythology. Tulu has script and poems were written in the language prior to 14th century, he said.
He said the affluent value of the language has enabled the studies on language by various intellectuals in India and abroad. Teams of language scholars from America, Finland, Germany, France, England and Italy have visited the region to study the language, he claimed. He demanded that official language status should be accorded to Tulu.
He said Tulu is the language of many educational programmes started in Indian universities and the universities worldwide. The German Missionaries started publishing Tulu books in 1841, he noted.
He demanded that the state government should take up the issue with the Union government and strive for the inclusion of the language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. In 2011, the government has issued directions to teach Tulu in primary and high schools in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, he added.