Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday, January 8, opposed the Kerala government’s proposed Malayalam Language Bill, 2025, which seeks to make Malayalam the compulsory first language in all districts, including those bordering Karnataka, where Kannada is the medium. He described the move as a “coercive approach” that violates constitutional protections for linguistic minorities.
In a post on X, Siddaramaiah said that linguistic diversity is central to India’s unity and that citizens have a fundamental right to be educated in their mother tongue. “India’s unity rests on respecting every language and every citizen’s right to learn in their mother tongue,” he said, adding that the proposed Bill “strikes at the heart of linguistic freedom” in Kerala’s border districts, particularly Kasaragod.
The Chief Minister argued that for children belonging to linguistic minorities, language goes beyond being an academic subject and is closely tied to identity, dignity and opportunity. He said mandating a single first language burdens students who study in their mother tongue, disrupts their academic progress and confidence, restricts their freedom to choose a second language, and weakens minority-run educational institutions and minority-medium education systems.
Referring to Kerala’s northernmost Kasaragod district, Siddaramaiah said that generations of students in the border region have studied in Kannada-medium schools and use Kannada extensively in daily life. He noted that local representatives have pointed out that a significant majority, with figures cited at around 70% in some areas, prefer education in Kannada and the Kannada script. This, he said, reflects India’s plural culture rather than posing a threat to Malayalam.
The Chief Minister cited constitutional provisions safeguarding linguistic minorities, stating that Articles 29 and 30 protect the right to conserve language and administer educational institutions of choice, Article 350A obligates the State to provide primary education in the mother tongue, and Article 350B mandates oversight of safeguards for linguistic minorities. He said any form of coercion in language policy runs contrary to both the letter and spirit of these constitutional protections.
While asserting that Kerala has the right to promote Malayalam just as Karnataka promotes Kannada, Siddaramaiah said promotion should not amount to imposition. Urging the Kerala government to withdraw what he termed a coercive approach, he said that if the Bill is passed, Karnataka would oppose it using all constitutional means. “Let Malayalam flourish. Let Kannada flourish. Let every mother tongue flourish,” he said.
A day earlier, the Karnataka Border Areas Development Authority (KBADA) said the proposed Bill was unconstitutional and detrimental to the interests of Kannada-speaking linguistic minorities in Kasaragod district. The authority pointed out that a similar Bill had been rejected by the President in 2017 and said the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs had repeatedly advised Kerala to safeguard the rights of linguistic minorities.
KBADA also said that Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar had assured a thorough review of the Malayalam Language Bill, 2025. A delegation of the authority met the Governor and submitted a memorandum seeking reconsideration of the Bill, which mandates Malayalam as the first language from Classes 1 to 10 in government and private Kannada-medium schools in Kasaragod district.