Language Row Escalates: Kerala's Malayalam Bill Sparks Outrage in Karnataka

• Kerala's Malayalam Language Bill, 2025, mandates Malayalam as the compulsory first language in schools from Classes 1 to 10, sparking a dispute with Karnataka.
• Karnataka views the Bill as marginalizing Kannada-speaking students in border districts like Kasaragod, despite its own push for wider Kannada use.
• Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan defends the Bill, stating it doesn't force non-Malayalam speakers to abandon their mother tongue and allows learning their own language alongside Malayalam.
• Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah objects, calling the Bill unconstitutional and an imposition, arguing it burdens students and affects their identity and opportunities.
• The Karnataka Border Area Development Authority (KBADA) has formally objected, recalling a similar Bill was rejected in 2017 and demanding protection for Kannadigas in border areas.

Why It Matters: Kerala's Malayalam Language Bill ignites a political standoff with Karnataka over linguistic identity and imposition.