Mangalore : The Tulu Samkrithi Samrakshana and Samvardhana Trust have been established to protect and promote tulunad culture in the district, said Dayanand Adyar, general secretary of the trust.

He was speaking at the press meet held at Hotel Woodlands Hall on November 5, Monday. He also said that today the tulunad games like cock fight and Kambala are being diminished and the people are losing interest in it due to the police harassment in the name of gambling.

He also said that many temples in the district have the annual festival which also includes cock fight, but the police seize the vehicles and harass the people who are gathered to witness this game. This fear in people has made them to lose their interest on these games and ultimately will disappear. This cock fight must not be stopped, but the trust does not support the cock fight played with money, he said.

He also said that the trust will appoint the lawyers in each taluk to give justice to this tulunad culture.

Speaking about the membership, he said around 1500 people have registered their membership and the trust aims to make 10000 members in the coming days. The life time membership fee is Rs 250.

The fund collected from the sponsors and donors are used for the development of the tulu language and culture. The trust will try to implement Tulu language as the commercial language in the district along with Kannada and announce Tulu as the legal language in the state.

Honorary president Bhaskar Manipal, president Shashiraj Shetty Kolambe, vice president Sylvester Pereira and treasurer Raviraj Rai were present at the press meet.