<p>Even as the Karnataka Border Area Development Authority has raised concerns over the Kerala government's Malayalam Language Bill-2025, Kerala government sources said that adequate exemptions have been given in the bill for the linguistic minorities.</p><p>Forums of Kannadigas in Kasargod also welcome a slew of measures of the Kerala government for protecting their language interests and barriers.</p>.'Against Kannada-speaking minorities’: Karnataka body opposes Kerala’s Malayalam Language Bill.<p>A Malayalam Language (Dissemination and Enrichment) Bill passed by the Kerala legislative Assembly in 2015 was returned by the President last year. Concerns raised by the linguistic minorities were believed to be the reason, even as no reasons were stated officially.</p><p>For that reason, the fresh bill passed by the state assembly in October 2025 has provisions giving exemption to linguistic minorities.</p><p>As per section seven of the bill, exemptions have been given to Kannada and Tamil linguistic minorities in communications with the state government offices. Students whose mother tongue is not Malayalam are also given exemption from learning Malayalam. Such students in ninth to higher secondary are also exempted from writing examinations in Malayalam.</p><p>Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority director A G Oleena said that it was quite reasonable for a state to insist that candidates seeking jobs in state services learn the respective language of those states. "Reasonable exemptions have been given to linguistic minorities in the new bill. Hence the reason for concerns is still not clear," she said.</p><p>Meanwhile, forums of Kannadigas in Kasargod are hailing the Kerala government for addressing their key concerns regarding absence of Kannada teachers in schools in Kasargod and lack of Kannada knowing officials in government offices in Kasargod.</p><p>"Now officials who know Kannada are being appointed as clerks in offices in Kasargod and Kannada teachers being posted in government schools in Kasargod. These are welcome moves by the Kerala government," said Umesh M Salian, who is a member of the Kasargod linguistic minority committee and secretary of the Rashtrakavi Manjeshwar Govinda Pai Smaraka Samithi.</p>
<p>Even as the Karnataka Border Area Development Authority has raised concerns over the Kerala government's Malayalam Language Bill-2025, Kerala government sources said that adequate exemptions have been given in the bill for the linguistic minorities.</p><p>Forums of Kannadigas in Kasargod also welcome a slew of measures of the Kerala government for protecting their language interests and barriers.</p>.'Against Kannada-speaking minorities’: Karnataka body opposes Kerala’s Malayalam Language Bill.<p>A Malayalam Language (Dissemination and Enrichment) Bill passed by the Kerala legislative Assembly in 2015 was returned by the President last year. Concerns raised by the linguistic minorities were believed to be the reason, even as no reasons were stated officially.</p><p>For that reason, the fresh bill passed by the state assembly in October 2025 has provisions giving exemption to linguistic minorities.</p><p>As per section seven of the bill, exemptions have been given to Kannada and Tamil linguistic minorities in communications with the state government offices. Students whose mother tongue is not Malayalam are also given exemption from learning Malayalam. Such students in ninth to higher secondary are also exempted from writing examinations in Malayalam.</p><p>Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority director A G Oleena said that it was quite reasonable for a state to insist that candidates seeking jobs in state services learn the respective language of those states. "Reasonable exemptions have been given to linguistic minorities in the new bill. Hence the reason for concerns is still not clear," she said.</p><p>Meanwhile, forums of Kannadigas in Kasargod are hailing the Kerala government for addressing their key concerns regarding absence of Kannada teachers in schools in Kasargod and lack of Kannada knowing officials in government offices in Kasargod.</p><p>"Now officials who know Kannada are being appointed as clerks in offices in Kasargod and Kannada teachers being posted in government schools in Kasargod. These are welcome moves by the Kerala government," said Umesh M Salian, who is a member of the Kasargod linguistic minority committee and secretary of the Rashtrakavi Manjeshwar Govinda Pai Smaraka Samithi.</p>