There is no space for a debate on whether the administration of the people should be in the language of the public. But the waiting of Malayalis for receiving the government services completely in their own language seems to be increasing.   There are 69 government departments and 36 quasi-governmental/ local self government institutions which have adjudicated that Malayalam as the official language in their functioning.

Even then, things have not changed totally into Malayalam in these places. There is no visible evidence to lament that Malayalam, the mother tongue of Kerala, is facing a big crisis here. Language alone faces a crisis nowhere. In a society that faces many cultural, social and economical predicaments, language also naturally is included in it. When the challenges faced by Kerala are estimated one by one and agitations are raised for a way out, language also will be seasoned to be an item in the demands of the agitations. Each and every invention in the scientific and technical scenario is owned by the society, and the same has been used in each phase of development.

The Akshaya project is actively participating in the efforts of getting every Keralite the benefit of information technology. Many of us have the misconception that the language of computer is English. But that is not true. Even then, the situation prevalent was that the majority were kept outside the information technology just because of they were not well versed in English. The State Government have placed before the public the slogan, ‘My Language in My Computer’ with the intention that no Malayali is alienated from computer. There is politics in deciding which language should the computer speak. The public will be aware of the possibilities of computer only when their own language is used to express their grievances.

Democracy is felt in its comprehensive meaning only when the fruits of information technology reach the general public by crossing the boundaries of language. The activities of making Malayalam Unicode available in all computers of government – quasi government departments will be completed within the coming days. Computerization is going on in many departments. By the completion of 11th five year plan, local self government institutions and district collectorates will shift to a computer aided administration as part of e-governance. It is a right of any individual to get the services of the government without delay. The people expect an administration which is corruption free, transparent and efficient. For such an administration, a government with a strong will alone cannot make things roll.

The technology and humane resource are also needed for it. Such a social situation is about to materialise with the computerisation going on in various departments in Kerala. In local self government institutions, attempts to register the project planning, monitoring and the calculation of assets generated in a transparent way with the help of modern technology is at a fast pace. Kerala need not wait much for a situation when one can trace out the steps taken on an application submitted in the collectorate from any corner with the help of internet.

When we reach such a change, the Malayalam computing is putting forward not just the possibility of using Malayalam as official language in all levels of administration. By assuring the use of language, it holds high the developing tendency of language and the identity of the people who use that language. As far as people believe that strength of the public is decisive, administration should be intended to create new regulations by modifying the existing ones. Core change is expected in the attitude of the Government servants. Then only it will be possible to know where the files are hung up in the hierarchical set up of departments and to intervene.

With the help of computer, the offices from village to secretariat will become operational. In such activities, Malayalam will take over the role of official language. Administration will speed up by not permitting delay at any point. Any society can go ahead only by accepting the changing realities and scrutinising all matters including modern technologies with modern analysing methods. There is no other way than involving into the realities of life to face the new changes and problems envisaged by history. It is a longing of any citizen to get an answer in the same language used by the petitioner. Malayalam computing materialises this wish also.

Imperialism is widening its realm of power by controlling knowledge and information. Knowledge society has achieved a global dimension. The contemporary freedom politics cannot sustain without properly knowing the possibilities of information technology. The course of paddy cultivation in the paddy field, the contents of the operation in the hospital, the time of class room in the university – all are controlled by the new technology. Universal and just development in democratic way is a dream of Malayali too. In any society which declared people’s charter and the law on right to information is in practice, the needs of the citizen are to be accomplished in a time bound and transparent manner. The computerisation and use of Malayalam language will also benefit as a reason for it.