‘Hold discussions before enforcing a language mandate’, Karnataka Chief Minister demands

• Kerala Government to introduce Bill to make Malayalam mandatory

• Concern expressed over Kannada-speaking population along the Kerala border

Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru (Karnataka) – Chief Minister of Karnataka and Congress leader Siddaramaiah has written a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, expressing concern over the Kerala Government’s proposed Malayalam language Bill. The Bill contains a provision to make Malayalam compulsory even in Kannada-medium schools in districts along the Karnataka–Kerala border, such as Kasaragod.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote in his letter that,

1. If this Bill is passed, the Karnataka Government will oppose it by exercising the constitutional rights granted to States to protect linguistic minorities and the country’s pluralistic spirit. (Maharashtra is also opposing this, then why does Karnataka not accept it, asks the Editor.)

2. Any policy that forces a single linguistic pathway places an unnecessary burden on children. It weakens schools and colleges run for minorities and disrupts the education ecosystem as a whole.

3. A large section of Kasaragod’s population depends on and willingly opts for education in the Kannada language. This is due to decades of social, cultural, and economic interaction. This does not reduce respect for Malayalam.

4. I request the Kerala Government to reconsider the Bill and initiate discussions first. This will strengthen India’s unity and ensure that the dignity of every language and every citizen is upheld. (‘Preaching others while ignoring oneself’ mindset of the Karnataka Government, remarks the Editor.)

5. I hope that wisdom, dialogue, and constitutional values will guide us towards a solution that allows every language to flourish freely.

Editorial Perceptive  

The Karnataka Government is expressing concern over Kannada speakers along the Kerala border if Malayalam is made mandatory; however, in the same Karnataka, Marathi speakers in Belagavi have been subjected to compulsory Kannada for many years. When Marathi speakers opposed this, their protest was crushed. This is the Karnataka Government’s hypocrisy.