Now Reading: Kodava speakers seek official language tag after centuries
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Kodava speakers seek official language tag after centuries
The Codava National Council and the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Akademi are pressing for Kodava to be added to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, which recognises 22 official languages. The language, spoken…
The Story in Brief
The Codava National Council and the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Akademi are pressing for Kodava to be added to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, which recognises 22 official languages. The language, spoken by 17 communities in Kodagu district, has unique words and a separate script called thirke, derived from South Indian Grantha. Linguistic scholars consider Kodava older than Malayalam but younger than Tamil and Kannada. The 2001 and 2011 censuses recorded a sharp drop in speakers, driven by low birth rates and voluntary shift to Kannada or Malayalam.
Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa, actor Rashmika Mandanna, and Gulshan Devaiah are among prominent Kodava speakers. The earliest known Kodava word in an inscription dates to 888 CE. Despite scholarly recognition as a distinct Dravidian language since the 19th century, many still treat it as a Kannada dialect.
The Indian Opinion
Linguistic diversity is India’s strength, yet the Eighth Schedule has not been updated since 2004. The narrative that Kodava is merely a dialect ignores centuries of evidence: a distinct script, unique vowel sounds, and intelligibility tests. Those who claim only major languages deserve official status overlook the constitutional promise to preserve smaller tongues. The real test will be how the government responds to the pending demand and whether the next census data on Kodava speakers forces a rethink.
Source: frontline.thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
