Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said that concerns being raised over the proposed Malayalam Language Bill, 2025 are based on misinformation and do not reflect the actual provisions of the legislation.

Vijayan’s clarification came a day after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to him, expressing serious reservations about the Bill and warning that Karnataka would oppose it through all constitutional means to protect linguistic minorities and the country’s plural ethos.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah had stated on social media that the proposed legislation, by allegedly making Malayalam compulsory as the first language even in Kannada-medium schools, would undermine linguistic freedom in Kerala’s border districts, particularly Kasaragod.

Responding to the criticism, Vijayan said in a post on X that the Kerala government remains firmly committed to constitutional values of secularism and pluralism. He asserted that the Bill includes a clear and explicit non-obstante clause aimed at safeguarding the rights of linguistic minorities, especially Kannada- and Tamil-speaking communities.

The Chief Minister explained that the legislation does not impose any language and fully protects linguistic freedom. In notified areas, Tamil and Kannada speakers will continue to have the right to use their mother tongues for official communication with the Secretariat, heads of departments and local offices, with responses provided in the same languages.

He further clarified that students whose mother tongue is not Malayalam are free to choose from the languages offered by schools in line with the National Education Curriculum. Students from other states or from abroad will not be compelled to appear for Malayalam examinations at the Class IX, Class X or higher secondary levels, he added.

Vijayan also emphasised that Kerala’s language policy is consistent with the Official Languages Act, 1963, and Articles 346 and 347 of the Constitution of India, which govern the use of languages for official purposes.

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“India’s diversity must be celebrated, not forced into uniformity. Our government, built on participation and transparency, will resist any dilution of federal principles while remaining equally committed to protecting the linguistic identity of every citizen,” the Chief Minister said.