Members of the district unit of Tulunadu Rakshana Vedike wore black armbands and staged a dharna in front of the Clock Tower here on Rajyotsava Day (Tuesday) demanding a separate Tulunadu State comprising Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts and Kasaragod district of Kerala.
They protested against the ‘injustice’ meted out to Tulunadu region. Addressing the protestors, Chittaranjandas Shetty said that the State government had little concern for the problems faced by the people of Tulunadu. Hence, it was encouraging the Yettinahole project. It had also established a thermal power plant in Udupi district and was planning to promote another mega thermal plant at Niddodi in Dakshina Kannada district, which would destroy fertile agricultural lands and create environmental problems. The government had turned a deaf ear to several protests held on these issues. “All these projects would turn Tulunadu into a barren land,” he said.
A large number of youth in Tulunadu were unemployed and were migrating to Bengaluru, Mumbai or the Gulf in search of jobs. The government had done little to create jobs for them. The government had not promoted agriculture in these two districts. In spite of persistent demands for including Tulu in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, there was hardly any action, he said.
Mr. Shetty demanded that Tulu should be declared as one of the State languages; Bajpe airport near Mangaluru named as Rani Abbakka Airport; Mangalore University renamed as Tulunadu University; Mangaluru-Mumbai Express train renamed as Tulunadu Express; and Dakshina Kannada district renamed as Tulunadu. The art, art forms and cultural aspects of Tulunadu such as Yakshagana and Bhoota Kola should be protected and encouraged, he added.
