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The 16th session of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly commenced on Tuesday with a policy address by Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who highlighted the legislation making Malayalam the official language of the state, along with other significant acts passed by the government.
Addressing the Assembly, Arlekar noted that Kerala recently had elections for the three-tier local d self-government and the elected people have now taken charge. Highlighting the Landmark Right to Services Act and legislative initiative to make Malayalam the official language of Kerala, he said, "My government has passed the Landmark Right to Services Act, which provides for declaring notified services as made available if officials connected with them fail to take action within a stipulated time period." "Another legislation is making our mother-tongue Malayalam the official language of the State, while affording adequate protection to the rights of linguistic minorities in the state," he added. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had previously in his response to a row surrounding the Malayalam Language Bill 2025, asserted that the apprehensions raised do not reflect the facts or the inclusive spirit of the legislation passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly, adding that the bill contains a clause that particularly safeguards the rights of linguistic minorities. In a post on X, the Chief Minister said, "Kerala's progress has always been rooted in comprehensive development anchored in equality and brotherhood. The Government remains steadfast in upholding the constitutional values of secularism and pluralism."Clarifying the intent of the legislation, Vijayan said the Bill contains a clear and unambiguous non-obstante clause (Clause 7) which explicitly safeguards the rights of linguistic minorities, particularly the Kannada and Tamil speaking communities. He emphasised that the government remains firmly committed to protecting linguistic diversity and ensuring that no language is imposed on any citizen. "Key provisions ensure that no language is imposed and linguistic freedom is fully protected. In notified areas, Tamil and Kannada speakers may continue to use their mother tongues for official correspondence with the Secretariat, Heads of Departments, and local offices, with replies issued in the same languages," Vijayan said. (ANI)
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