Tulu stands as an independent language in Census records, Karnataka debate continues

Tulu has been recorded as a separate language by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner ever since the department was established. Census reports publish statistics on Tulu speakers as a distinct linguistic community, rather than folding them into another language category.

The recognition matters in the context of a continuing demand to make Tulu an additional official language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka. The two coastal districts are home to a large share of Tulu speakers.

Being counted separately in the Census gives the language a clear demographic footprint. That data is often cited in discussions about administrative status and language policy at the district level.

The demand for additional official language status is distinct from the Census classification. While the Census treats Tulu as an independent language for statistical purposes, the question of its use in official district administration remains a separate matter.

No fresh decision on the official language demand is indicated in the available material. What is clear is that Tulu speakers have long been enumerated as a separate linguistic group in the decennial Census exercise.