Answer

Introduction

The Malayalam Language Bill 2025 is a legislative push by the Kerala government to establish Malayalam as the official language across administration, education, and the judiciary. While aimed at linguistic enrichment, it has triggered a federal row over the potential marginalization of border minorities, particularly Kannada and Tamil speakers in districts like Kasaragod.

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Concerns: Impact on Minorities in Kerala

• Educational Disadvantage: Mandating Malayalam as the compulsory first language (Classes 1-10) is seen as an “imposition” that could burden students whose mother tongue is Kannada or Tamil.
  Eg: The Karnataka government argues this undermines the academic performance of students in Kasaragod’s Kannada-medium schools.
• Cultural Marginalization: Critics fear a gradual “Malayalamisation” of border regions, where historical linguistic identities are replaced by a singular state identity.
  Eg: The Karnataka Border Area Development Authority (KBADA) warned that the Bill could erase the pluralistic fabric of regions like Manjeshwar.
• Administrative Barriers: Compulsory use of Malayalam in local offices could impede access to justice and government services for those not proficient in the language.
• Constitutional Conflict: The Bill is accused of violating Articles 29 and 30, which protect the rights of minorities to conserve their distinct language and script.
  

Safeguards: Ensuring Linguistic Inclusivity

• Non-Obstante Clause: The Bill must explicitly state that its provisions will not override existing constitutional protections for linguistic minorities.
  Eg: Kerala CM highlighted Clause 7, which provides special exemptions for Kannada and Tamil speakers in notified areas.
• Bilingual Administrative Policy: Government replies and public signboards in minority-dominated areas should remain bilingual to ensure clarity.
• Examination Exemptions: Students from other states or those whose mother tongue is not Malayalam should be exempted from mandatory language exams at high school levels.
  Eg: Provisions currently exist to exempt migrant and foreign students from Malayalam exams in Class 9th and 10th standards. 
• Flexible Curriculum Choices: The education policy should allow students to pursue their mother tongue as the first language where institutional provisions exist.
  Eg: Ensuring alignment with the National Curriculum Framework allows students to choose their medium of instruction without compulsion.

Safeguards: Protecting Minority Rights

• Consultative Federalism: The state should engage in “good-faith conversations” with neighboring states and minority bodies before implementing contentious clauses.
• Dedicated Oversight Body: A permanent directorate or commission should monitor compliance and address grievances from linguistic minorities in real-time.
  Eg: The Malayalam Language Development Department must have a wing specifically for minority affairs to prevent “silent marginalization”.
• Judicial Safeguards: Mandate that court orders in minority areas like Kasaragod be issued in the minority language or English alongside Malayalam.
  Eg: Clause 9 of the Bill already suggests that district court judgments in minority areas should be available in Kannada or English.

Conclusion

Language should be a “bridge, not a barrier.” While Kerala has a legitimate right to promote Malayalam, this must not come at the cost of the “fearless plurality” that defines India. By institutionalizing “Constitutional Morality” over linguistic majoritarianism, Kerala can ensure that the Malayalam Language Bill 2025 becomes a tool for harmony rather than a source of discord in the federal family.

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