Kerala Governor Highlights Malayalam Official Language Bill and Right to Services Act in Assembly Address

Kerala's legislative assembly witnessed a significant policy address focusing on linguistic and administrative reforms. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar highlighted the Landmark Right to Services Act, which ensures government officials respond to service requests within stipulated timeframes or face consequences.

The centerpiece of the address was the Malayalam Language Bill 2025, making Malayalam the official language of Kerala. However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan moved to address concerns about minority language protection, emphasizing that the legislation includes a non-obstante clause (Clause 7) that explicitly safeguards the rights of Tamil and Kannada-speaking communities.

According to Vijayan, the bill ensures no language is imposed on citizens. In designated areas, Tamil and Kannada speakers may continue official correspondence in their mother tongues, with government responses in the same languages. This approach reflects Kerala's commitment to balancing linguistic development with constitutional values of secularism and pluralism.