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Shah responds to MP’s letter on OCI registration in Malayalam
The unusual choice of Malayalam language comes months before the April 2026 Kerala Assembly elections and amid constant debate over “Hindi imposition” in the Southern states
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New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah’s routine acknowledgement to a letter by Kerala MP John Brittas has drawn attention for its unusual use of Malayalam and evoked curiosity about the Centre’s stand on languages. Rajya Sabha MP Brittas on Sunday said that while Shah had responded several times before to him, but for the first time a letter written by him on October 22 to raise concerns on the August 2025 notification of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that introduced ‘chargesheeting’ as a ground for cancelling Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) registration, came with the usual short acknowledgement but written in Malayalam.
In his letter written in English, Brittas argued that a charge sheet is only a police document with no evidentiary value and that cancelling OCI status without a judicial finding violates the presumption of innocence, upheld in Indian jurisprudence. Stating that the provision in MHA’s August 12 notification governing OCI registration, has caused “deep anxiety” within the global Indian diaspora, he urged Shah to review and annul the notification to ensure fairness, due process, and constitutional safeguards.
On November 14, Shah responded to Brittas in Malayalam. “Your letter dated 22 October 2025, regarding the concerns connected with the OCI registration, has been received,” Shah said in Malayalam.
“I have never seen this before. His replies are usually in English or in Hindi,” said Brittas.
The unusual choice of Malayalam language comes months before the April 2026 Kerala Assembly elections and amid constant debate over “Hindi imposition” in the Southern states.
Earlier in April, NCERT’s move to give Hindi titles to English-medium textbooks, prompted sharp criticism from Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty, who argued it undermined linguistic diversity. Kerala formally wrote to the Centre on April 19, seeking a rollback, while NCERT defended the change as aligning with NEP 2020’s “Indian identity” goals.
Speaking at the 5th Akhil Bhartiya Rajbhasha Sammelan on September 15, Shah argued that there is no conflict between Hindi and other Indian languages, calling Hindi a “companion” rather than a rival and urged leaders to communicate with him in their regional languages. He has also advocated for the use of Hindi in domains like science, law enforcement, and the judiciary.
The language debate is not confined to Kerala. Tamil Nadu has repeatedly opposed what it calls “Hindi imposition,” most recently criticizing proposals to expand Hindi usage in competitive exams and central recruitments. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, parties criticised moves to prioritise Hindi in Union government communications and recruitment tests, arguing it disadvantages non-Hindi students.
