Karnataka to challenge Kerala's new 'Malayalam' Bhasha Bill
Karnataka is gearing up to take legal action against Kerala's new Malayalam Bhasha Bill, which makes learning Malayalam compulsory in schools up to Class 10.
The move has worried many in Karnataka, especially those living in Kasaragod, a border district with a big Kannada-speaking community, who fear their language could get sidelined.
Legal battle will likely focus on linguistic diversity
Karnataka officials and local Kannada groups say the bill might violate students' rights to learn in their mother tongue, as protected by the Constitution.
Some leaders want Kasaragod left out of the law or for both states to sit down and review it together.
The bill includes a clause allowing students whose mother tongue is not Malayalam to pursue a language of their choice.
The legal battle ahead will likely focus on how this bill affects linguistic diversity along the border.