Mangaluru : A controversy has erupted in coastal Karnataka after a letter from the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to Taluk Panchayat officials sparked confusion over the use of the Tulu language in gram panchayat meetings.
The issue arose after Muralidhar, director of Yashaswi Nagarika Seva Samsthe in Karkala, submitted a representation to the ZP CEO requesting that Kannada be prioritised in panchayat meetings and Tulu use be avoided by officials and members.
MP Kota Srinivas Poojary said that if all the MLAs, including the Speaker, can communicate in Tulu in the Assembly, what does it mean that Tulu should not be spoken in the Gram Panchayats? This government does not understand what is wrong. It is not right to impose that the local language should be spoken in the Gram Panchayats instead of dealing with the local language.
Responding to the development, Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy president Tarananth Gatti Kapikad clarified that there is no legal restriction on elected representatives using Tulu during discussions in gram panchayat general body meetings. He urged the CEO to withdraw the advisory to avoid further confusion.
Acting on the petition, the ZP CEO reportedly wrote to Taluk Panchayat Executive Officers to take action as per rules. However, it is noteworthy that the CEO’s letter does not explicitly ban the use of Tulu, nor does it impose any language restriction.
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