Karnataka urges Kerala Governor to reject Malayalam language Bill

In yet another thorn in the Karnataka-Kerala relationship, the Karnataka government has taken objection to the Malayalam Bhasha Bill, 2025, and urged Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to reject it. Karnataka has termed the Bill as “unconstitutional” and against the interest of the Kannada-speaking linguistic minority in Kerala, especially those living in the border district of Kasaragod.

A delegation from the Karnataka Border Area Development Authority, on behalf of the Karnataka government, met the Governor at Kasaragod on Wednesday and handed over a petition to reject the Bill.

The Bill makes Malayalam the compulsory first language in all schools across Kerala. A similar Bill passed in 2017 had been rejected by the President.

“The Kerala Assembly recently has passed a Bill called Malayalam Bhasha Bill, 2025, and submitted for your assent, which is pending in your office. It is similar to the Bill of 2017,” the authority’s letter to the Governor said.

“We want Kasaragod, where more than 70% of the population is Kannada speaking, to be excluded from the purview of the Bill. As per Article 350 and Article 350A, it is the duty of the State government to protect rights of linguistic minorities. This Bill violates the constitutional rights,” said authority secretary Prakash Mattihalli, who led the delegation. “Mr. Ardekarje promised us that he would consider our plea.”

This comes close on the heels of Kogilu Layout demolition following which sparks flew between Karnataka and Kerala leaders, especially after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan dubbed the demolition as “brutal normalisation of bulldozer raj.”

Pointing out the provisions of the Bill, the Karnataka government has said, “Section 2(6) defines that the first language Malayalam should be taught as compulsory subject in Kerala schools upto class 10 in all government and aided schools. In Kasaragod and other Kannada speaking areas of Kerala, linguistic minority students are studying Kannada as their first language and another language as second language.”

Terming the provisions as “violation of constitutional rights,” the Karnataka government has said, “If the bill is accepted, Kannada students may have to forcibly learn Malayalam though they do not know Malayalam.”

The Karnataka government fears that the implementation of the Bill in Kasaragod will have far reaching consequences and will affect Kannada language and in particular students whose mother tongue is Kannada and are studying in Kannada-medium schools in the border district.

The Karnataka government’s petition has also drawn the attention of the Governor to directions that have been issued to Kerala government by the Assistant Commissioner of Linguistic Minorities, Ministry of Minority Affairs.

This direction pertains to appointment of Kannada teachers in Kannada medium schools, fixing sign boards in Kannada language in police stations, railway stations and national highways in Kasargod district, Government correspondence in Kasargod district to be in Kannada and filling up of vacancy in Kasargod district based on the linguistic minority population and not on the basis of applications received by the recruiting agency. “Despite these instructions, constitutional provisions of Articles 30, 347, 350, 350A and 350B and other instructions issued by the Government of India with regard to protection of linguistic minorities have been violated,” the petition said.