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Bengaluru: Just days after the Kerala government introduced the ‘Malayalam language’ bill mandating Malayalam as the first language even in Kannada medium schools, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah termed it a ‘coercive’ approach that violates constitutional protection for linguistic minorities.
In a post on ‘X’, the chief minister said that the bill if implemented would undermine the linguistic freedom and ignored the realities of Kerala’s border district’s especially Kasaragod.
“India’s unity rests on respecting every language and every citizen’s right to learn their mother tongue”, he said in his post.
The Chief minister warned in his post stating that Karnataka would oppose the bill by all constitutional means if implemented in its current state.
Siddaramiah further added that for children from linguistic minorities, language is not merely an academic subject, but a matter of dignity and their identity.
Referring to Kasaragod’s border areas, Siddaramiah noted that generations of students studied in Kannada medium schools and continued to rely on Kannada on daily life.
“This is not a threat to Malayalam, but a testament to India’s plural culture where languages coexist”, the CM added.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Border Development Authority said that Kerala governor Arlekar had assured a thorough review of the ‘Malayalam language Bill 2025’.
