Language of harmony: On the Malayalam Language Bill. 

The rights of linguistic minorities must be protected in every State. 

The Malayalam Language Bill, 2025, which seeks to promote the language and passed by the Kerala Assembly, is being opposed by leaders in Karnataka. The concern that minority languages in the State, particularly Tamil and Kannada, would be adversely affected is misplaced and arises out of misunderstanding of the provisions.  The Bill proposes the adoption of Malayalam as the first language for schoolchildren and measures to promote the language in various sectors, from the judiciary to IT. The Bill states that Tamil and Kannada linguistic minorities in notified areas may correspond with the State Secretariat, Heads of Departments, and local State offices in their respective languages, and replies shall be issued in those languages; and that students whose mother tongue is not Malayalam may pursue education in other available languages in State schools, in accordance with the National Education Curriculum. Additionally, students from other States or foreign countries studying in Kerala whose mother tongue is not Malayalam are exempt from writing Malayalam examinations at the classes IX, X, and higher secondary levels.

An earlier  version of the Bill, passed in 2015, was languishing for the Centre’s clearance for 10 years. After the Centre returned the Bill following a Supreme Court of India decision that Bills cannot be indefinitely delayed, the State passed the current version. The Centre, ostensibly, has a policy of promoting all Indian languages, as do several States. As long as such measures are undertaken alongside those for the protection of the rights of linguistic minorities, no other State or the Centre should have any objection. Most States, including Kerala and Karnataka, have multiple linguistic communities. The linguistic division of States was only an approximation, and language borders have weakened due to migration. Language policies at the national and regional levels must account for these realities rather than pursuing a blind cultural agenda of Hindi or any single language promotion. To be clear, all these languages must have their rightful places in administration and the public sphere. To achieve that objective without allowing hostilities between communities is a challenge of nation-building. Mechanisms such as the Inter-State Council, which has been dormant, must be invested with more authority, and wider, good-faith conversations across linguistic groups promoted.