Linguistic minorities needn't worry on Malayalam bill: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday assured the assembly that the same language pattern now taught in linguistic minority schools would continue even after the introduction of the Malayalam (Compulsory) Language Bill. Mr Vijayan was speaking at the debate on the bill aimed at making Malayalam teaching compulsory in all government, aided, unaided, self-financing schools across the boards. Earlier, the opposition had raised objections and claimed it infringed on the rights of the linguistic minorities.
They argued hence the Bill was against the spirit of the Constitution.

The Bill presented in the special session at the Old Assembly Hall of the Secretariat building held as part of the 60th anniversary of its first sitting was later referred to the subject committee. The bill mandated Malayalam to be taught till Class X, punishment for banning talking in Malayalam in schools and cancelling NOC of schools refusing to teach Malayalam. It exempts students coming from other states or foreign countries to pursue studies in the state. Another provision was that no board or notice would be displayed or campaign conducted in schools imposing a restriction on speaking the Malayalam language or that some other languages be spoken in schools. There is also a provision for a fine up to Rs 5,000 for headmasters of the schools that violated its rules.