{
  "id": 9404147,
  "title": "Mumbai’s Tulu Community Welcomes Karnataka’s Recognition Of Language, Calls It A Step To Preserve Heritage",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/mumbais-tulu-community-welcomes-karnatakas-recognition-of-language",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T19:16:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbais-tulu-community-welcomes-karnatakas-recognition-of-language-calls-it-a-step-to-preserve-heritage"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mumbai's Tulu-speaking community has lauded Karnataka's decision to recognize Tulu as the state's second official language, viewing it as a significant step towards preserving the heritage of the oldest Dravidian language. Harish Amin, president of the Billawar Association, expressed delight, stating that the recognition was long overdue. The community has been advocating for the language's status for quite some time, with Vivek Kotian noting that Tulu speakers, predominantly from South Kanara and Udupi districts of Karnataka, have migrated across India and the world. Ashok Shetty, a lawyer with connections to Mumbai and the Bombay High Court, pointed out that Tulu speakers have significantly contributed to Mumbai's restaurant industry. The recognition could potentially boost interest among the younger generation in learning Tulu, as the Billawar Association actively encourages this among its members. However, there are concerns about the script used for Tulu, with Tigalari, its traditional script, rarely used these days, but now gaining traction for revival.",
  "summary": "Mumbai: The recognition of Tulu as Karnataka’s second official language has been welcomed by the Tulu-speaking community in Mumbai, which is believed to have one of the largest concentrations of Tulu speakers outside coastal Karnataka. “We are going to celebrate. This recognition was long due,” said Harish Amin, president of the Billawar Association, a socio-cultural organisation representing a…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}