Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has opposed the Kerala government’s Malayalam Language Bill 2025, claiming to do so in the interest of the Kannada people of Kasaragod. He has stated that the proposed Bill is an attack on the linguistic freedom guaranteed by the Constitution of India. However, Siddaramaiah’s stand is not correct. The Malayalam Language Bill is not against Kannada. It appears that Siddaramaiah has wrongly chosen this Bill as a counterattack against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who had earlier criticised the Karnataka government over the issue of Kogilu victims.
Malayalam is the state language of Kerala. Declaring the state language as the official administrative language and making it compulsory in schools reflects a state’s commitment to its language. In fact, this linguistic commitment of the Kerala government should serve as a model for Karnataka. The key question is: Does the Malayalam Language Bill–2025 take away the mother-tongue rights of Kannada speakers in Kasaragod? Absolutely not. It appears that Siddaramaiah has not read the Bill in full.
The Bill’s Chapter III on the use of official language states that subject to Articles 346 and 347 of the Constitution of India, the language to be used for all official purposes in Kerala shall be Malayalam. However, it allows English to be used for correspondence with the Government of India, institutions under the Government of India, foreign countries, other states, the High Court, the Supreme Court, and in other situations where the use of English is mandatory by law. English may also be used while communicating with Tamil and Kannada speakers (the state’s linguistic minorities).
It also states that Malayalam shall be the compulsory first language in all Government and aided schools in Kerala up to Class 10. It also calls for steps to promote the dissemination of Malayalam language in all schools in the State. But students whose mother tongue is any language other than Malayalam will have the opportunity to study Malayalam language in addition to their mother tongue.
As per clause 6(3) in Chapter III, students whose mother tongue is Kannada can study Malayalam in addition to Kannada. There is absolutely no threat to the Kannada language here.
More important than all this are the clauses on special provisions regarding linguistic minorities from other states. They reflect the Kerala government’s generosity towards Dravidian languages. Perhaps no other state shows such linguistic inclusiveness.
It allows students whose mother tongue is any language other than Malayalam to pursue their studies in the languages of their choice, and they are available in the schools of the State in accordance with the National Education Curriculum. Students from other States and foreign countries studying in Kerala whose mother tongue is not Malayalam shall be exempted from writing the examination in Malayalam language in Classes 9 and 10 and Higher Secondary Level.
Clause 7 in Chapter III also has a provision which states that Tamil and Kannada speaking linguistic minorities in the State may use their languages for their correspondence with the various government offices and that the replies by local offices in linguistic minority areas shall be in their respective minority languages.
What more does Kannada need in Kerala than this? This means that government officials in northern Kerala must transact with Kannada speakers in Kannada. The law makes it mandatory for all government offices in Kasaragod to accept applications in Kannada and to correspond in Kannada.
As per Clause 7(2), the Bill grants Kannada children the right to continue their education in Kannada in northern Kerala. As per Clause 7(3), Kannada students of Classes 9 and 10 are allowed to write their examinations in Kannada. Question papers will be provided in Kannada, and students may write their answers in Kannada. Even at the primary school level, Kannada students can write their examinations in Kannada.
According to Clause 9, Chapter IV, all district court orders and judgements in Kerala must be issued in Malayalam. However, in courts located in linguistic minority areas, orders and judgements must be issued in Kannada or English.
The Malayalam Language Bill 2025 also mandates a bilingual policy (dwi bhasha neeti) for signboards and advertisements in public places. This is something that has long been demanded in Karnataka. The Karnataka government has still not clearly notified a bilingual policy. Kerala, by clearly defining a bilingual policy in this Bill, has stated that advertisements and signboards may be displayed in Kannada in Kannada-speaking areas. Why should we not be proud of this respect shown by the Kerala government to Kannada, one of the Dravidian languages?
Until now, the Kannada language and Kannada schools in Kasaragod were under constant threat. There was a fear that Kannada was slowly disappearing from Kasaragod. But through Clause 7 of the Malayalam Language Bill 2025, Kannada in Kasaragod has now become a legally protected right of the Kannada people
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has unilaterally declared that Kannadigas will oppose this Bill. This is not correct. Not only should Kannadigas welcome the Malayalam Language Bill 2025, but they must also demand that the Siddaramaiah government introduce a similar “Kannada Language Bill 2026” in Karnataka through an ordinance.
Naveen Soorinje is a senior Kannada journalist. Views expressed here are the author’s own.