Malayalam language bill | Apprehensions do not reflect facts: Kerala CM Vijayan rejects concerns raised by Siddaramaiah

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said that the concerns being raised over the Malayalam Language Bill, 2025 are not based on facts. He made the remarks in a post on social media platform X, a day after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to him voicing strong objections to the proposed legislation.

In his letter, Siddaramaiah had warned that if the Bill were enacted, Karnataka would oppose it by using all constitutional means available, citing the need to protect linguistic minorities and India’s plural ethos. Earlier, he had also posted on X that the draft Malayalam Language Bill, by making Malayalam compulsory as the first language even in Kannada-medium schools, undermines linguistic freedom and ignores the ground realities of Kerala’s border regions, particularly Kasaragod.

Siddaramaiah had stated that if the Bill was passed, Karnataka would oppose it by exercising every constitutional right available, in defence of linguistic minorities and the plural spirit of the country.

A day before that, he had said on X that "the proposed Malayalam Language Bill-2025, by mandating compulsory Malayalam as the first language even in Kannada-medium schools, strikes at the heart of linguistic freedom and the lived reality of Kerala's border districts, especially Kasaragod".

In the wake of these statements, Vijayan, in an X post, said that the Kerala government "remains steadfast in upholding the constitutional values of secularism and pluralism".

He said that the bill contains a clear and unambiguous non-obstante clause to safeguard the rights of linguistic minorities, particularly the Kannada and Tamil speaking communities, and attached a photograph of the same along with his post.

"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, with replies issued in the same languages," he explained.

The Kerala CM further said 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 the IX, X, or Higher Secondary levels," he added.

Vijayan also emphasised that Kerala’s language policy is fully aligned with the Official Languages Act, 1963, and Articles 346 and 347 of the Constitution of India.

"India’s diversity is to be celebrated, not forced into a single mould. 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 in his X post.