Karnataka's two languages, Tulu and Kodava, should be granted official status, Congress MP B K Hariprasad said today in the Rajya Sabha and got support from several others who wanted a number of other regional languages also to be given such a treatment.

As of now, 22 languages -- listed in the Eight schedule of the Constitution -- are recognised as official languages. However, 16 languages including Tulu and Kodava are still out of the ambit.

Moving a private member bill for amendment to the Constitution, Hariprasad said the Tulu and Kodavu-speaking people, who are in a minority in Karnataka, are feeling that "there is huge discrimination" as neither the state government nor the Centre recognises these as official language.

The Tulu and Kodava-speaking people have contributed in various fields at national and international level, and these languages need to be recognised officially, he said.

Supporting the bill, Basavaraj Patil (BJP) said not only these two languages, but all 16 languages like Bhojpuri, Hindustani and Marwadi should also be included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, which grants officials status to the languages.

"The government should itself think about it. It should not matter what population speak these langauges," he said.

Speaking in favour of the bill, Oscar Fernandes (Cong) even sang a few lines in Tulu language after he was prompted by his colleague Jairam Ramesh.

Fernandes said he used to talk to buffalo as a farmer by singing songs, which used to be understood by the animal only and not others.

The gist of the song was "If buffalo comes before you, it starts chasing you and you run away. You tame the animal and manage it."



The members from Treasury and Opposition benches were seen thumping their desks when Fernandes sang the song.

Fernandes said this is high time that Tulu and Kodava should be included in Eighth schedule of the Constitution.

He apprised the House about the relevance of these languages for rich culture and literature of Karnataka



He explained about the Yakshagana, a traditional theater form that combines dance, music, dialogue, costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style and form. This theater style is mainly found in Tulunadu and the Malenadu region of Karnataka, India.

Echoing similar view, Narayan Lal Panchariya (BJP) made the case for including Rajasthani Mahajani language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution, saying it is a treasure of culture, heritage and knowledge.

Supporting the bill, Chhaya Verma (INC) said Chhattigarh Raj Bhasha should be included in the eighth schedule.

Expressing similar view in support of the bill, Shiv Pratap Shukla (BJP) said Bhojpuri should be included in the Eighth schedule of the Constitution and claimed that it is one of the official languages of Mauritius.

However, the discussion on the bill remained inclusive.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)