Kerala Name Change: Ahead of the key Assembly election, a bill to change the name of the southern state Kerala to Keralam was passed by the Union Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal for changing the name of the southern state. Earlier in 2024, the Kerala Assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the centre to change the name of the state in the official records. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had asserted that as per Malayalam, the name of the state should be Keralam. While the exact dates have not been announced by the Election Commission yet, the polls in Kerala are likely to be held in May.
In the resolution, the chief minister stated that while the name of the southern state in the first schedule of the Constitution is Kerala, it should be changed to Keralam. "The name of our state in Malayalam is Keralam…However, the name of our state in the first Schedule of the Constitution has been written as Kerala. This Assembly is unanimously requesting the Union Government to take immediate steps under Article 3 of the Constitution to change the name of the state to Keralam," Vijayan stated.
What's Next?
- The president will refer a Bill, namely the Kerala Bill, 2026 to the State Legislative Assembly
- The views of the State Legislative Assembly will be sought under provison to Article 3 of the constitution
- After receiving the views of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, the centre will seek permission of the president for introduction of the bill to change the name of Kerala as 'Keralam' in Parliament
ALSO READ: Russia-Ukraine War In Photos: Four Years Of Deadly Conflict
Why Keralam?
The leaders from across parties have pointed out that the name of the state should be based on the regional language. While there are several theories regarding the origin of Keralam, the earliest mention of the word can be found in Emperor Ashoka’s Rock Edict II. Translated by epigraphist DR Bhandarkar, the edict has defined Ketalaputra (Keralaputra) as a sovereign state.
"Everywhere in the dominions of King Priyadarsin, Beloved of the gods, as well as those of his frontier sovereigns, such as the Chodas (Cholas), Pandyas, Satiyaputra, Ketalaputra (Keralaputra)…” the edict read. As per German linguist Dr Herman Gundert, the word ‘keram’ referred to the coastal land between Gokarna (in Karnataka) and Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu).