Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Feb 26: After imposing Malayalam as a mandatory language in administration, the Kerala government had posted Malayalam teachers to Kannada medium schools. Now the Kerala government is contemplating to make learning of Malayalam language a prerequisite for considering a person for government jobs there. With these measures, Kerala is making everything possible to rob the border area Kannadigas, who form the linguistic minority in Kasargod district, of the chance to bag government jobs in Kerala.

Earlier this week, Malayalam Mission had organized Matru Bhasha Day celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, speaking there, asserted that those who want to work for the government in Kerala should know Malayalam language. This has taken the Kannada organizations working to protect the interests of the border area Kannadigas in Kasargod district by surprise and shock.

As per the current rules, those who have not studied Kannada up to tenth standard in Kerala have to pass the language medium capability examination before they complete their probationary period. They have to pass this examination within ten years of joining for employment. Pinarayi Vijayan plans to modify this rule, and this fact has sent shockwaves through the Kasargod Kannadigas.

If the current rule is changed, Malayalam language will have to be learnt before the completion of the probationary period. The current clause about ten years is proposed to be removed those who are studying in Kannada schools will face lot of problems, these organizations say.

There are about 175 Kannada medium schools in Kasargod district with 44,000 students. The district has about six lac population of Kannadigas and most of them live in Kasargod and Manjeshwar taluks. Till now linguistic minority Kannadigas living in Kasargod district are exempt from Malayalam language compulsory rule. Pinarayi Vijayan had tried to modify the rule to the detriment of Kannadigas during his previous term as chief minister, but because of dogged protest carried on by various Kannada organizations, the proposal had taken a backseat. Now it has again cropped up.

For the last five years, the border area Kannadigas have been facing atrocities from Kerala government. Now the government wants to make Malayalam compulsory to bag jobs. Whether the government will withdraw the constitutional rights of minorities is a worrying question. Kasargod Karnataka Samiti president and advocate, K M Ballakuraya, said that if this is done, talks will be held with the government and if needed, the doors of the court will be knocked to get justice.