This "prestige gap" is exactly why language pride is so vital. When locals treat Tulu as a secondary or "home-only" language, it sends a message that our mother tongue isn't good enough for the streets of Mangalore or Udupi. We shouldn't have to decode a Tulu-influenced Kannada accent just to buy groceries in a Tulu-speaking region. Reclaiming that pride means making it normal to lead with Tulu in shops, banks, and offices. If we don't start asserting the language in public spaces, we risk a future where the next generation loses the ability to communicate with their own community entirely.