Siddaramaiah opposes Kerala Bill mandating Malayalam in Kannada-medium schools

Opposing a Kerala government's Bill that seeks to make Malayalam the compulsory first language even in Kannada-medium schools, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday (January 8) urged the neighbouring state to withdraw it.

He described the move as a “coercive approach” and asked the Kerala government to uphold India’s constitutional morality. If this Bill is passed, Karnataka will do everything to oppose it, using all the rights granted by the Constitution, Siddaramaiah warned.

Linguistic freedom

India’s unity depends on respecting every language and every citizen’s right to learn in their mother tongue, Siddaramaiah said, adding that if the Bill is passed, Karnataka would oppose it using all the rights provided under the Constitution.

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“The proposed Malayalam Language Bill, 2025, by mandating Malayalam as the first language even in Kannada-medium schools, strikes at the heart of linguistic freedom and the lived reality of Kerala’s border districts, particularly Kasaragod,” Siddaramaiah wrote on X.

He said, for children of linguistic minorities, language is not a "subject" alone, it is identity, dignity, access and opportunity.

"When the state compels a single first language choice, it burdens students who learn in their mother tongue, disrupts academic progression and confidence, narrows the freedom to choose a second language, and weakens minority-run institutions and minority-medium education ecosystems," he added.

Minority language concerns

Noting that in Kasaragod's border belt, generations have studied in Kannada-medium schools and relied on Kannada in daily life and education, the CM said that local representatives have long pointed out that a large majority, prefer Kannada learning and the Kannada script ecosystem.

"This is not a threat to Malayalam, it is a testament to India's plural culture, where languages coexist without fear," he said.

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Pointing out that the country's constitution is clear that no government can trample the rights of linguistic minorities, Siddaramaiah said, "Articles 29 & 30 protect the right to conserve language and administer educational institutions of choice; Article 350A casts a duty to provide facilities for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage; and Article 350B mandates oversight for linguistic minority safeguards."

Coercion in language policy goes against both the letter and spirit of these protections, he said.

Karnataka warns Kerala

Stating that Kerala has every right to promote Malayalam with pride, the CM said, "Karnataka does the same for Kannada which is our heartbeat and our identity. But promotion cannot become an imposition."

"I urge the Kerala Government to withdraw this coercive approach and uphold India's constitutional morality. The ideology that treats plurality as an inconvenience cannot lead a diverse nation forward." he said.

If this Bill is passed, Karnataka will do everything to oppose it, using all the rights granted by the Constitution, he said.

"We will stand with every Kannadiga, with the people of Kasaragod, with linguistic minorities, and with all those who believe that India belongs equally to every language and every voice." "Let Malayalam flourish. Let Kannada flourish. Let every mother tongue flourish. That is the India our Constitution promised, and the India we must defend," he further noted.

KBADA's appeal

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Border Areas Development Authority (KBADA) on Wednesday (January 7) said the Kerala governor has promised a thorough review of the Malayalam Language Bill-2025, following concerns raised over its impact on Kannada-speaking linguistic minorities in Kasaragod district.

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A KBADA delegation met Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and submitted a memorandum to him seeking the stalling and reconsideration of the Bill, which mandates Malayalam as the first language from Classes 1 to 10 in all government and private Kannada medium schools in the district.

(With agency inputs)