No legal bar on use of Tulu in panchayat meetings, clarifies language academy chief

Mangaluru: The Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy on Friday clarified that there is no legal restriction on the use of Tulu language in gram panchayat meetings, amid concerns raised over a recent advisory issued by the Dakshina Kannada district administration.

Taranath Gatti Kapikad, president of the academy, said elected representatives are free to use Tulu during discussions in gram panchayat general body meetings, and that there is no statutory provision that limits the use of regional languages in such forums.

The clarification follows a representation submitted by a local civil society group, Yashaswi Nagarika Seva Samsthe, to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat.

The petition had urged the district authorities to discourage the use of Tulu in panchayat meetings and to give priority to Kannada. Acting on the petition, the ZP CEO reportedly issued a letter to taluk-level panchayat executive officers, directing them to take action "as per rules." However, the ZP CEO's letter does not explicitly mention any prohibition on Tulu, nor does it mandate Kannada-only proceedings. This has led to ambiguity and triggered concerns among Tulu language advocates.

"The use of Tulu in local government meetings has been a long-standing practice in this region. Across Karnataka, panchayat members often speak in their native tongues. There is no legal hindrance to this," Kapikad said.

He urged the ZP CEO to withdraw the letter to prevent any misinterpretation that could undermine the linguistic rights of local communities.

He also emphasised that India's constitutional framework upholds linguistic and cultural diversity. "Respecting all languages is central to our democratic values and the spirit of the Constitution," he added.

Tulu, a Dravidian language spoken widely in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, is not among the 22 official languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution but has a strong presence in cultural and social life in the region.

The Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy has formally appealed to the district administration to retract the advisory in the interest of linguistic harmony and clarity.