MLA promises to speak Tulu in Assembly

Udupi, May 2: Udupi MLA Raghupathy Bhat insisted that seniors belonging to Tulunadu culture and tradition should make it a point to converse in Tulu language with children to prevent the language from diminishing.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of 'Tuluva Siri - Ponnu Ponjovu Kuto' organised jointly by Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy and Siri Tuluva Chavadi, Udupi, he said said that many youngsters were using English words while speaking Tulu. This was because some of them believed that it was a matter of prestige to use English words while speaking Tulu. With little effort, it was possible to speak Tulu without using English words.

The Tulu Sahitya Academy should hold more programmes on Tulu language and Tulu culture so that the younger generation had more exposure to it. As requested by the organisers of the conference, he would try to ask a question in Tulu language in the Legislative Assembly. Since Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda was also from Tulunadu, he could answer the question in Tulu. This would be documented in the records of the Legislative Assembly. Women had played a vital role in the preservation of Tulu culture. The women's organisations held programmes such as Aatidonji Dina during which they prepared Tulu cuisine, besides other programmes focusing on Tulu culture. It was a tragedy that children these days liked packaged food items instead of the delicacies of the region such as chakkuli and kara kadi .

Tulu language had a script but since it had not been used for a long time, people had forgotten it. There were many valuable palm leaf manuscripts written in Tulu script. “Elected representatives were open to any suggestion given by the academy for the promotion of Tulu language and culture”, Mr. Bhat said.

President of Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) Kiran Kumar said that he would look into the suggestion that a special session of the CMC be held in Tulu.

Chairman of Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy Umanath Kotian said that the culture of Tulunadu was unique. Scholars from abroad came to study it, he said. Charitra Hegde, who acted in the Tulu film Kanchilda Bale, inaugurated the programme in a traditional manner by lighting a lamp near a Tulsi sapling kept in an earthen structure, then watered the sapling, and garlanded it.

Shahnaz M., Chief Editor of Anupama , a women's monthly, members of the Academy Ramesh Kalmady, Damodar Bangera, Naveen Hegde and Manjula Shetty, honorary President of Siri Tuluva Chavadi Y.N. Shetty and President Kudi Vasanth Shetty were present.