Mangaluru: With the cabinet meeting scheduled for Friday in Mangaluru, the long-pending demand for official language status for Tulu is back in focus. Chief minister DK Shivakumar seems to have struck a local chord with the locals by signing off his X post announcing the meeting with “Mataregla Solmelu”, a Tulu greeting.The demand enjoys support across party lines and carries deep cultural significance in Tulunadu.In the last assembly elections, Congress retained only two of the 13 constituencies in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai emerged victorious in a closely fought contest in which a three-cornered battle between Rai, right-wing activist Arun Kumar Puthila and BJP candidate Asha Thimappa Gowda split the anti-Congress vote. Meanwhile, Mangaluru MLA and minister UT Khader registered his fifth consecutive win by defeating BJP’s Sathish Kumpala.Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee president Padmaraj R Poojary described the meeting as historic.“Congress believes in taking everyone into confidence and working towards development, social justice, culture and language. We are confident that Tulu will be accorded its due status. When development takes place, the party will automatically strengthen,” he said.Poojary said the meeting could pave the way for greater investment in the coastal region. While the coast had immense potential, development had not taken place as expected, he said, adding that people wanted elections to be fought on development issues.No effect of cabinet meet on BJP: KumpalaBJP Dakshina Kannada district president Sathish Kumpala, however, dismissed the possibility of the meeting having any significant political impact.He said the previous BJP govt had taken steps to grant Tulu official language status by constituting a committee headed by Dr M Mohan Alva. Though the Congress later formed another committee, the demand remained unfulfilled, he said.“There is nothing wrong with the Congress trying to strengthen itself. However, this will not affect the BJP. Our six MLAs are working well, and there are no organisational issues,” he said.The BJP, he added, was confident it would win back Puttur and retain all eight seats in the coastal region. He also said development, including coastal tourism, should not undermine the region’s cultural character or affect fishermen’s livelihoods.
