MANGALURU: A delegation of the Karnataka Border Area Development Authority (KBADA) met Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum urging him to halt and review the proposed Malayalam Language Bill–2025, citing concerns over its impact on Kannada-speaking minorities in the border district.
In the memorandum, KBADA secretary Prakash V. Mattihalli expressed strong opposition to the bill recently passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly. The delegation stated that a similar bill had been rejected by the President of India in 2017 and argued that the current bill is unconstitutional and detrimental to the interests of the large Kannada-speaking population in Kasaragod district.
The delegation expressed serious concern over Section 2(6) of the Malayalam Language Bill–2025, which mandates Malayalam as the first language from Classes 1 to 10 in all government and private schools, including Kannada-medium schools.
They stated that in areas like Kasaragod, students currently study Kannada as their first language and opt for languages such as Hindi, Sanskrit or Urdu as their second language, a choice that would be adversely affected if the bill is implemented.
The memorandum warned that enforcing Malayalam as a compulsory first language would burden Kannada-speaking students, especially when they pursue higher education outside Kerala, and would have long-term adverse consequences on their academic and professional futures.
The memorandum pointed out that the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has repeatedly advised the Kerala government to safeguard the rights of linguistic minorities. It highlighted alleged violations of constitutional provisions, including Articles 30, 347, 350, 350A and 350B, which ensure protection and facilities for linguistic minorities across states.
Among the key demands placed before the Governor were mandatory appointment of Kannada teachers in Kannada-medium schools, installation of Kannada signboards in police stations, railway stations and along national highways in Kasaragod, use of Kannada in official correspondence in government offices in the district, and recruitment to local vacancies based on the population of linguistic minorities rather than only through PSC or centralised agencies.
The delegation also sought regular bi-monthly meetings by a district-level committee under the Kasaragod District Collector to address issues faced by Kannada-speaking minorities.
KBADA members Subbaiahkatte ,Tekekere Shankaranarayana Bhat, Kerala Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Jayaprakash Narayana Tottetodu, advocate Muralidhara Ballukaray, and Kerala Pradesh Teachers’ Association president Sukesh A, who were part of the delegation urged the Governor to reject or return the bill for reconsideration.
Mattihalli said Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar assured the delegation that the bill has been withheld for review and that a detailed examination would be undertaken to protect the constitutional rights and interests of Kannada-speaking minorities in Kasaragod district.