Mangaluru: Kannada and Culture Minister Aravind Limbavali informed that the Karnataka Government has approved to add the Tulu script that was drawn by experts and approved by Tulu Sahitya Academy to the Unicode Character list.
Speaking to News Karnataka, Tulu Sahitya Academy President Dayanand Kathalsar said, “discussions were being held for the last ten years about creating Tulu script. Now with this approval by the Government, the process of Tulu script getting officially included in the Unicode has gained momentum.”
“Considering the request of the Tulu Sahitya Academy, the department requested the Central Institute of Indian Languages in Mysuru to examine the script. The institute formed a committee of language experts and has recommended submitting the script to the Unicode Consortium. Following this recommendation, the department has asked the academy to include the approved script in the Unicode Character list,” he explained.
Speaking further he said, “after adding the Tulu script in Unicode it will be used on digital platforms, print, and publicity material. Initially, Tulu writers used Kannada script to write Tulu. Only a few were using Tulu script for writing. Now, It’s easily accessible and available for writers to write using Tulu script. Tulu is one of the ancient Dravidian languages and has a history of more than 2500 years, and this initiative will help nurture and promote the Tulu language and culture,” he added.
“Our demand for granting an official language status in Karnataka and to be included in the eighth schedule of the constitution is further strengthened with this approval,” he added.
