THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah raised major criticism against the Malayalam Language Bill 2025, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rejected the charges outright, saying the apprehensions do not reflect the inclusive spirit of the legislation.
In a long social media post, Pinarayi pointed out that the bill, passed by the Kerala Assembly, contains an unambiguous clause to safeguard the rights of linguistic minorities, particularly the Kannada and Tamil-speaking communities. Built on the Kerala Model of participation and transparency, the government resists any erosion of federal rights while remaining equally committed to protecting the linguistic identity of every citizen, he added.
“Key provisions ensure that no language is imposed and linguistic freedom is fully protected. In notified areas, Tamil and Kannada speakers may continue to use their mother tongues for official correspondence with the Secretariat, heads of departments, and local offices,” he said.
Pinarayi further pointed out that students whose mother tongue is not Malayalam are free to choose languages available in schools in accordance with the National Education Curriculum. Students from other states or foreign countries are not compelled to appear for Malayalam examinations at Class IX, X, or Higher Secondary levels.
“Kerala’s language policy is fully aligned with the Official Languages Act, 1963, and Articles 346 and 347 of the Constitution of India.
Built on the Kerala Model of participation and transparency, our government resists any erosion of federal rights while remaining equally committed to protecting the linguistic identity of every citizen,” he said. The chief minister said Kerala’s progress has been rooted in comprehensive development anchored in equality and brotherhood.
Earlier, Siddaramaiah expressed disapproval of the legislative move to make Malayalam the compulsory first language in schools. He had urged the state to immediately withdraw the bill, labelling it a violation of the linguistic freedoms. As per the bill passed last October, Malayalam would be the state’s official language, and it will be used in government offices and court rooms. Setting up a Malayalam language authority, and making Malayalam the first language in state syllabus schools are some of the other stipulations in the legislation. The bill is currently pending for clearance before Governor Arlekar.