Mysuru: The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has urged Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to consider granting official language status to Urdu in Karnataka.
SDPI state president Abdul Majeed made the demand in a letter to the Chief Minister following the Karnataka Cabinet’s recent decision to grant Tulu additional official language status in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
SDPI welcomes recognition for Tulu
In his letter, Abdul Majeed said the recognition accorded to Tulu was welcome, while pointing out that Urdu-speaking communities are present across Karnataka.
He urged the state government to consider according similar official recognition to Urdu, citing its long history in Karnataka and its literary tradition.
The 2011 Census maintains official data on mother tongues in Karnataka, including Urdu. The Census database provides state, district and sub-district level mother-tongue data for the state.
Highlights presence of Urdu education
Abdul Majeed also referred to the presence of Urdu-medium education in Karnataka. He said there are 3,934 government Urdu schools and 302 aided Urdu schools in the state.
A Karnataka government publication on Urdu-medium schools also documents the presence of Urdu education institutions across the state, reflecting the established role of the language in the state’s education system.
Majeed said Urdu has been spoken in Karnataka for a long period and has developed a literary tradition associated with its script.
Seeks recognition from state government
While acknowledging Kannada as the principal language of Karnataka, the SDPI state president urged the government to recognise Urdu as an official language in view of its historical and educational presence in the state.
The demand comes shortly after the Karnataka Cabinet’s September 18 decision to grant Tulu additional official language status in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. The Cabinet decision was described as addressing a longstanding demand from Tulu-speaking communities in the coastal districts.
The proposal for Urdu recognition is now a demand placed before the state government by the SDPI.