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March 28, 2010: The government of Karnataka has cleared the proposal to teach Tulu as an optional third language in Udupi and Mangalore. The government order has been released on 26th March which has been signed by the under secretary of the government Mr. M.N. Somashekar.
The order said Tulu can be taught as the optional third languages in areas where Tulu is spoken. The teaching can take place in Udupi and Mangalore districts from next academic year, schools can hire Tulu scholars for teaching Tulu and they should make arrangements to train the teachers the order stated. Both private and government schools can take it up.
It could be recalled here that Tulu activists and various organizations had been putting pressure on the government for this order. Speaking to Mangalorean.com Mr. Uday Dharmasthala member of the Tulu Academy said the government had okayed the teaching from 2010-2011. "This had been a long standing demand of the Tuluvas in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. The government has cleared to be taught after sixth standard which has come as a boon to the furtherance of the Tulu culture in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts."
But now we are faced with the challenges of creating a text book and an academic programme to teach Tulu effectively in the schools, but we have top experts working on the subject and soon the text books will be printed and supplied to the schools. The role of the schools was most important they have to hire teachers and creates slots in their time table to fit in Tulu, he added.
He thanked the Chief Minister Mr. B.S. Yeddyurappa, home minister Dr. V.S. Acharya, education minister Mr. Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri and Dakshina Kannada in-charge minister Mr. Krishna Palemar who have helped in promulgation of this order.
It could be recalled here that the Tulu is known as Panchadravida bhasha (one of the five Dravidian languages) including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Tulu. But due to lack of usage by the Tulu speaking people Tulu had been included in the list of languages that are on the extinction path of the UNESCO.
The government has also sent a copy of the order to the DSERT for further action.
Source :Mangaroean.com
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