The Hindu

• There has been a demand for Tulu Rajya since the 90s
• The State Government accused of focusing only on the development of Bangalore
• Poet Kinhanna Rai, former MP Ramanna Rai declare support to it 

Mangalore, Aug 13: The Tulu Nadu movement is gaining momentum in the region with support from poet Kayyara Kinhanna Rai and former MP Ramanna Rai.

Kinhanna Rai has been leading the struggle for the inclusion of Kasargod in Karnataka. There has been a demand for "Tulu Rajya" from the people of three coastal districts - northern part of Kerala (upstream Chandragiri river), Dakshina Kannada and parts of Udupi district - since the 90s.

Tulu activists have raised some serious issues. One of them is the State Government is focusing only on the development of Bangalore and its periphery, and cities such as Mangalore and Udupi have received a raw deal.

They alleged that the Government had "totally neglected" Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. The Kerala Government too showed similar attitude towards Kasargod district.

Kinhanna Rai said political boundaries might not mean anything to people who were fighting for the survival of a language and its culture. Karnataka and Kerala governments spoke about "tier II cities" and the "Smart City" concept, but investment was not forthcoming, he added.

The Tulu Rajya Horata Samiti, which is now active in the three districts, said after Independence, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts did not get any major irrigation or drinking water project. Convener of the samiti Dinesh said Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts were the top revenue earners for the State Government. But when it came to Government grants, they stood no chance.

Hailing the Government for building a new complex for the Bowring hospital in Bangalore, samiti activists said that the District Wenlock and Lady Goshen hospitals in Mangalore and the district hospital in Udupi could have also been developed.

Ramanna Rai said that the work on the Mangalore-Bangalore railway line was completed after 35 years of its launch.

He said that he would not accept the laying of a meter gauge line between the two cities and converting it into broad gauge as a development project particularly when there was no rail link for nine years.