Date:01/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/01/stories/2008070151390200.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Kerala is a model, says linguistic minorities Commissioner

Special Correspondent

KOCHI: Kerala’s record on safeguards of linguistic minorities is much better, said Suresh A Keswani, former MP and Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, Ministry of Minorities Affairs. He is on a three-day visit to Kochi to make an assessment of the implementation of safeguards available to the linguistic minorities in the districts of Ernakulam, Idukki and Palakkad. After meeting the district officials and representatives of linguistic minorities of these districts here, he said that Kerala should be made a role model for all other States.

He has persuaded all district officials to support linguistic minorities and their institutions. The Commission received 14 representations from Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati and Konkani speaking people.

He said the major issue faced by the Commission is providing education through the mother tongue at least in primary education to the migrant labour children. It has also been found that most of the linguistic minorities reside in border areas where Naxalite activities are more. The aim of the Commission is to stop seeping down of such activities in the South by increasing the literacy rate, said a press release.