What is the issue?
- There is a strong case for adding Tulu, among other languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
- Placing all deserving languages in the Constitution on an equal footing will promote social inclusion and national solidarity.
What is the current situation?
- According to the 2001 Census, India has 30 languages that are spoken by more than a million people each.
- Additionally, it has 122 languages that are spoken by at least 10,000 people each.
- It also has 1,599 languages, most of which are dialects.
- These are restricted to specific regions and many of them are on the verge of extinction.
- India must accommodate this plethora of languages in its cultural discourse and administrative apparatus.
What are the Constitutional provisions?
- Article 29 of the Constitution provides that a section of citizens having a distinct language, script or culture have the right to conserve the same.
- Both the state and the citizens have an equal responsibility to conserve the distinct language, script and culture of a people.
- Among the legion of languages in India, the Constitution has 22 languages. They are protected in Schedule VIII of the Constitution.
What about the languages that aren’t protected?
- Many languages that are kept out of this favoured position are in some ways more deserving to be included in the Eighth Schedule.
- For example, Sanskrit, an Eighth Schedule language, has only 24,821 speakers (2011 Census).
- Manipuri, another scheduled language, has only 17,61,079 speakers.
- However, many unscheduled languages have a sizeable number of speakers: Bhili/Bhilodi has 1,04,13,637 speakers; Gondi has 29,84,453 speakers; Ho, 14,21,418; Khandeshi, 18,60,236; Khasi, 14,31,344, etc.
What is the status of Tulu?
- Tulu is a Dravidian language whose speakers are concentrated in two coastal districts of Karnataka and in Kasaragod district of Kerala.
- The Census reports 18,46,427 native speakers of Tulu in India.
- The Tulu-speaking people are larger in number than speakers of Manipuri and Sanskrit, which have the Eighth Schedule status.
- Robert Caldwell, in his book, called Tulu as one of the most highly developed languages of the Dravidian family.
- The cities of Mangaluru, Udupi and Kasaragod are the epicentres of Tulu culture.
- At present, Tulu is not an official language in India or any other country.
- Efforts are being made to include Tulu in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
What does the Yuelu Proclamation say?
- The Yuelu Proclamation, made by the UNESCO in 2018, says that the protection and promotion of linguistic diversity,
- Helps to improve social inclusion and partnerships,
- Helps to reduce the gender and social inequality between different native speakers,
- Guarantee the rights for speakers of endangered, minority, indigenous, non-official languages and dialects to receive education,
- Enhance the social inclusion level and social decision-making ability.
- India has a lot to learn from the Yuelu Proclamation.
What would be the advantages?
- If Tulu is included in the Eighth Schedule, it would get recognition from the Sahitya Akademi.
- Tulu books would be translated into other recognised Indian languages.
- Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of State Assemblies (MLAs) could speak in Tulu in Parliament and State Assemblies, respectively.
- Candidates could write all-India competitive examinations like the Civil Services exam in Tulu.
- Placing of all the deserving languages on equal footing will promote social inclusion and national solidarity.
- It will reduce the inequalities within the country to a great extent.
- So, Tulu, along with other deserving languages, should be included in the Eighth Schedule in order to substantially materialise the promise of equality of status and opportunity mentioned in the Preamble.
Source: The Hindu
