Remove ambiguity in Malayalam Bhasha Bill

It is second time within a month that a row has erupted between Karnataka and Kerala who share common boundaries. Karnataka has raised objections over the Malayalam Bhasha Bill 2025 that makes it mandatory for all students studying in Kerala to study Malayalam as the first language. Prior to this, Karnataka objected to Kerala chief minister Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan criticising the uprooting of residents in Kogilu layout, most of whom belong to the Muslim minority.

Karnataka has pointed out that those studying in Kannada language medium, especially in Kasargod district where over 50 per cent of the population speaks Kannada, would academically suffer if Malayalam were to be imposed as the mandatory first language. A delegation of the Karnataka Border Area Development Authority has sought explicit exclusion of Kannada linguistic minority areas from the ambit of the bill where more Kannada medium schools exist. It even represented the matter in a memorandum to state governor Rajendra Arlekar while he was visiting Kasargod district.

While it is always useful for people living in a particular state to know as well as study the official language of the state, making it mandatory as the first language appears to be a bit arbitrary, especially for the ones who are studying in schools where minority languages are the medium of instruction. It is useful to be reminded that study of Kannada language is though mandatory in Karnataka, it can be opted as the second or third language till the SSLC stage. Urdu or Hindi medium students in Karnataka have been following this formula for over four decades when the Karnataka Government introduced the 3-language formula following the agitation over presentation of the Gokak Report. 

Kerala government could follow the pattern thereby removing the widespread concern among the vast number of Kannada-speaking people in Kerala.The government of Kerala will do well by allaying fears of the Kannada-speaking minority by exempting Malayalam as the mandatory first language in the areas where Kannada-speaking minority population is preponderant. 

It will be imperative for the Kerala government to remove the ambiguities in the bill to address the concerns of Kannada-speaking minority.
 It will also be befitting to make provision for signboards in such areas in both Malayalam and Kannada language and expedite appointment of Kannada language teachers in government and state-aided schools.

 Any row over the issue of language or treatment of minorities between Kerala and Karnataka can only be termed unfortunate as they represent two of the most developed states within the Indian Union. Primacy of the regional languages is unquestioned and well recognised by both of them. 
Their mutual ties have been free from the element of linguistic chauvinism and people in both states have shared the best of their culture and traditions with due respect for diversity.