Kannada Language Comprehensive Development, Bill, 2022

Speakers of Tulu and Kodava have opposed the draft of the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Bill, 2022, which aims to ensure the “extensive use and propagation” of Kannada.

About ‘Tulu’ language –

• Tulu is a Dravidian language.
• It is mainly spoken in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Kasargod and the Western Ghats had 17,22,768 speakers as per the 2001 census.
• The native speakers of Tulu are referred to as Tuluva or Tulu people and the geographical area is unofficially called Tulu Nadu.
• Features — Separated early from Proto-South Dravidian, Tulu has several features not found in Tamil–Kannada. For example, it has the past perfect and the future perfect, like French or Spanish, but formed without an auxiliary verb.
• Status — At present, Tulu is not an official language in the country.
• Tulu culture — Tulu has a rich oral literature tradition with folk-song forms like paddana, and traditional folk theatre yakshagana.

About ‘Kodava’ language –

• It is a Dravidian language.
• Kodava, which is also called Coorgi, is spoken mainly in Kodagu district.
• According to the 2001 census, the total number of Kodava speakers are 166,187, compared to 1,22,000 in the 1997 census.

About the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Bill, 2022 –

• The Bill aims for the effective implementation of Kannada as the official language of the state with English being the second communication language.
• The bill envisages reservation of jobs for Kannadigas both in the government and private organisations.
• It also has the provision to deny incentives such as tax holiday, tax rebate or exemption and discount in land procurement to the private companies, which do not provide reservation for Kannadigas in employment.
• The job applications have to clear the Kannada language examination that is equivalent to the first language or second language in SSLC (secondary school leaving certificate). Those who have studied Kannada as the first or second language in SSLC or equivalent are exempted from this examination.
• The bill does not specify the quantum reservation on jobs and education or the ranks of the posts to be coming under the purview of reservation.
• All communications, notifications from the state government will be mandated to be in Kannada.
• The proceedings of courts and their orders should be in Kannada based on the situation.
• The bill envisages imposing a fine of Rs 5,000 for any violation if the offence is for the first time.
• The second time offence and third time offence will attract a file of Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000 respectively.