The Malayalam Language (Learning) Bill, 2017, mandating learning of Malayalam as a compulsory subject from Class I in all schools in the State, is all set to snowball into a major controversy with the Kerala High Court seeking the State’s version on the issue.
On a writ petition filed by four Class I students hailing from Kannada linguistic minority families here, the High Court on Wednesday posted the hearing of the case after 10 days, Karnataka Samithi president K. Muralidhara Ballakkuraya said here on Thursday.
‘Repeal Bill’
The petition filed on Tuesday last by the students hailing from Maipady locality here said the Bill, passed in the Assembly on May 24, should be repealed as it amounted to infringing Article 14, 19 and 29 of the Constitution safeguarding the fundamental rights of linguistic minorities in the country. The said Bill would come into force only after receiving approval from the Governor, he said.
Observes ‘Black day’
Meanwhile, Kannada medium schools in the district observed Thursday as ‘black day’ even as the authorities made elaborate arrangements at various levels to celebrate Pravesanotsavam. The linguistic minority families under the aegis of the Kannada Poratta Samiti had staged a day-long fast in front of the Collectorate here on Wednesday to express their resentment over the moves to mandate Malayalam a compulsory subject.
