Writer and the former president of Tulu Sahitya Academy B.A. Vivek Rai has suggested that the fight for inclusion of Tulu in the 8 Schedule of the Constitution (list of officially recognised languages) should now get into a phase of strategic action.
He told a gathering at the World Tulu Meet here on Saturday that north Indian States were fighting for the inclusion of Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, Khari and Gojri in the Schedule. Joining hands with the States and groups fighting for the cause would add strength to the demand of Tulu organisations.
One could argue that at least one south Indian language should be considered along with these four north Indian languages.
On the other hand, the organisations should launch an approach in which the State government will effectively lobby with the Centre. In the first place, the State’s Chief Minister and elected representatives should submit a “proper” memorandum to the Prime Minister and Home Minister explaining the reasons for the demand with statistics. Before that, Karnataka itself should make it an official language of the State, he said.
“Convincing the officials from the Ministries of Home and Law at the Centre was crucial because it is they who will take the issue forward. The State’s officials and organisations will have to maintain a constant liaison with the Union government officials,” he said.
SurveyA key question to be answered is how many people speak Tulu, at a time when different organisations and people quote figures ranging from a few lakhs to Rs. 1 crore. His information was that the 2001 Census had put the figure at 18 lakh.
A survey could be undertaken after signing an MoU with the Centre so that authentic statistics could be compiled and presented, he said.
