Mumbai’s Tulu Community Welcomes Karnataka’s Recognition Of Language, Calls It A Step To Preserve Heritage

Mumbai: The recognition of Tulu as Karnataka’s second official language has been welcomed by the Tulu-speaking community in Mumbai, which is believed to have one of the largest concentrations of Tulu speakers outside coastal Karnataka.

“We are going to celebrate. This recognition was long due,” said Harish Amin, president of the Billawar Association, a socio-cultural organisation representing a section of the Tulu-speaking community in the city. “Tulu is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and by giving it this status, the government has recognised its antiquity and cultural heritage,” he said.

Community Says Recognition Should Have Come Earlier

Speakers said the recognition should have come much earlier. “There are so many people speaking Tulu across the country, especially in Karnataka and Mumbai, that Tulu should have been a medium of instruction and should have received official status long back,” said Vivek Kotian, a media professional.

Advocate Santosh Hegde said Kannada has traditionally been the language of administration in Karnataka. “Like Tulu, most states have languages other than the language of administration. Uttar Pradesh has Bhojpuri; Maharashtra has Ahirani. It is important to recognise these languages,” he said.

“We are happy. I wrote to Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar congratulating him on the decision. He was the first CM to come to Mangalore to meet different communities,” Hegde added.

Tulu is predominantly spoken in the South Kanara (Mangaluru) and Udupi districts of coastal Karnataka and surrounding areas. Over the years, the language has travelled with migrants from the region to cities across India and abroad.

Ashok Shetty, a lawyer practising in the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court, said Tulu speakers were now spread across the world. “They first came to Mumbai to work in restaurants as helpers. Many of them later became restaurant owners themselves. Mumbai has more Tulu speakers than Bengaluru,” he said.

Tulu Spread Globally Through Migration

Tulu speakers said the recognition would create greater interest among youngsters in learning the language. The Billawar Association conducts Tulu classes in Mumbai, particularly encouraging younger members of the community to learn it.

“We encourage people to join and with this recognition, more people will hopefully join the language classes,” said Amin.

“It will prompt young people to learn the language; there will be greater accessibility to it, and it will only help the language grow,” said Kotian.

However, Tulu speakers said the script used for the language also needs attention. Tulu has its own traditional script, known as Tigalari, which has similarities with the Malayalam script but is now rarely used. Modern Tulu is predominantly written in the Kannada script.

There is a growing campaign to revive the traditional script. Amin said the Billawar Association uses Tigalari while conducting its language classes.

Hegde, however, said he grew up learning the Kannada script. “Everyone will have to learn the new alphabet. People should understand it will be difficult,” he said.

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