Karnataka’s border body flags concerns over Kerala’s Malayalam language Bill, urges Governor to block it

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Border Area Development Authority (KBADA), an arm of the State Government, has pressed Kerala Governor RV Arlekar not to assent the Malayalam Language Bill, 2025, passed by the Kerala assembly in October, pointing out the adverse consequences it would have on the minority Kannadigas in Kasargod district, bordering Karnataka.

The Authority has, in a statement, claimed that the Governor promised to review the Bill after a delegation from the Authority submitted a memorandum and expressed its concerns in a meeting with the Governor on Wednesday. Kasargod has a significant number of Kannada speakers.

The delegation conveyed to the Governor that the Bill, if it becomes a law, would have far reaching consequences on the Kannada-speaking linguistic minorities in the border district.


The Bill, the Authority said, mandates Malayalam as the first language in government and private Kannada-medium schools in Kasargod district from class 1 to class 10.

The body said the Kerala government was required to appoint Kannada teachers at Kannada-medium schools and install Kannada signboards at public places like police stations, railways stations and on the highways in Kasargod district, and Kannda must receive equal importance as Malayalam in Kasargod district.

The President of India had earlier rejected the Malayalam Language (Promotion and Enrichment) Bill of 2015. The present one, however, is awaiting the Governor’s assent.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, speaking at the Malayalam language day on November 1, said his government was determined to make Malayalam the sole language in the administration.