Tulu official language demand: Karkala MLA urges CM to decide at Mangaluru Cabinet meet

Karkala MLA and former Karnataka Minister for Kannada and Culture V. Sunil Kumar has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to declare Tulu as the second official language of the state during the Cabinet meeting scheduled in Mangaluru on September 18. He submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister in Bengaluru on Wednesday, pressing the long-pending demand.

Mangaluru is the headquarters of Dakshina Kannada district and a major city in the Tulu-speaking region. The decision by the government to hold its Cabinet meeting there has drawn attention to the needs of the coastal districts, including the language issue.

Tulu is spoken predominantly in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, and also in parts of the neighbouring Kasaragod district of Kerala. Karnataka currently recognises Kannada as its only official language. For decades, cultural organisations and social groups in the Tulu-speaking belt have called for official recognition, pointing to the language’s rich oral traditions and written literature.

Mr. Kumar, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, recalled that the previous BJP-led state government constituted a committee headed by M. Mohan Alva, Chairman of Alva’s Education Foundation in Moodbidri, to examine the feasibility of granting Tulu official language status. The committee submitted its report to the government led by the then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. It concluded that no legal or constitutional obstacles existed in declaring Tulu as a second official language.

The decision, however, could not be implemented because the Model Code of Conduct for the Legislative Assembly elections came into force. Mr. Kumar, who served as a minister in the then government, said all administrative work related to the proposal has been completed. "The ball is now in the court of the State government," he said, adding that the Mangaluru Cabinet meeting is an appropriate forum to take the matter forward.

In a separate request, Mr. Kumar sought special grants for the Mahamastakabhisheka of the 42-foot-tall monolithic statue of the Jain saint Bahubali at Karkala in Udupi district. The anointing ceremony, which takes place once every twelve years, is scheduled for ten days from February 18, 2027. The event is expected to attract a large number of pilgrims and tourists from across the country and abroad. The MLA said funds are needed to upgrade roads and civic infrastructure in Karkala in preparation for the gathering.

Mr. Kumar also urged the Chief Minister to come up with a comprehensive plan for the long-term development of the coastal region. He listed tourism-related infrastructure as a priority and mentioned projects such as the Parashurama Theme Park, Ramasamudra lake and park, Varanga Chaturmukh Lake Basadi, and Kudlu falls in Nadpalu village of Hebri taluk. He said further development of these sites would benefit local communities and attract more visitors.

The Cabinet meeting in Mangaluru is expected to consider policy matters relating to the coastal districts. Mr. Kumar’s memorandum and submissions cover both cultural recognition and physical infrastructure, and their inclusion in the Cabinet’s agenda will be watched closely by residents of the region.