Siddaramaiah’s letter to Pinarayi on Friday objects to the Malayalam Language Bill, which makes Malayalam the mandatory first language even in Kannada-medium schools, saying it would affect Kannadigas in Kerala’s border districts, particularly Kasaragod. The letter expresses fear that Kerala’s language bill will hurt the longstanding harmony among different linguistic groups in Karnataka’s border districts. Siddaramaiah says he is writing the letter in the spirit of "mutual respect, shared constitutional responsibility and cooperative federalism". "I remain hopeful that wisdom, dialogue and constitutional values will guide us towards a resolution that allows every language to flourish freely." Pinarayi is yet to reply to Siddaramaiah’s letter.

Source: The Telegraph January 11, 2026 01:55 UTC