Kerala's Malayalam Bill Sparks Row with Karnataka: Compulsory Language vs. Minority Rights
Explainers
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News18•09-01-2026, 17:35
Kerala's Malayalam Bill Sparks Row with Karnataka: Compulsory Language vs. Minority Rights
- •Kerala's proposed Malayalam Language Bill, 2025, mandates Malayalam as the compulsory first language in all government and aided schools, including Kannada-medium schools in border districts like Kasaragod.
- •Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah opposes the Bill, calling it a "coercive approach" that violates constitutional rights of Kannada-speaking linguistic minorities and ignores their cultural realities.
- •The dispute highlights differing language policies: Kerala's Bill modernizes its 1969 Act, while Karnataka's 2022 Act consolidates existing laws, making Kannada mandatory in more aspects.
- •Karnataka's law is more stringent, requiring Kannada in courts, making it mandatory for government jobs, and linking language compliance to industrial incentives.
- •Kerala's Bill acknowledges Kannada and Tamil as linguistic minorities, allowing them to use their languages in official correspondence, a protection not fully mirrored in Karnataka's law.
Why It Matters: Kerala's new language bill faces strong opposition from Karnataka over compulsory Malayalam, raising concerns about minority rights.
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