Kerala’s name has been changed to ‘Keralaam.’ But do you know where the word ‘Keralaam’ came from, and why the government immediately approved it? What connection does it have with the elections?
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State Name Change: Typically, when a proposal from the opposition comes to the central government, it is debated at length, files often get stuck, and it is often shelved. However, when it comes to the important South Indian state of Kerala, this notion was completely shattered. The Left Front (LDF) government of Kerala had submitted a proposal to change the state’s name from ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam’. On Tuesday, the Union Cabinet approved the proposal without much delay. What happened that led the Modi government to so quickly approve this proposal from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Communist government? What is the true meaning of the word ‘Keralam’?
First, it is important to understand the timing and location of this decision. The decision to change Kerala to ‘Keralaam’ was taken in the first meeting of the new Prime Minister’s Office. The Union Cabinet has approved the state government’s proposal, which sought to change the state’s name to ‘Keralaam’ in the First Schedule of the Constitution and in all official languages.
Why did the Centre immediately approve the proposal of the Left government?
The most debated issue is how the central government agreed so easily. Behind this lies a masterstroke of diplomacy, politics, and timing.
Assembly elections to be held in April-May
This decision comes at a time when Kerala is scheduled to hold assembly elections in April-May. The BJP has been trying to strengthen its political base in Kerala for several years. Kerala is a crucial state for the BJP to establish its presence in South India.
The biggest issue was snatched away
The people of Kerala are extremely sensitive about their language, Malayalam, and their culture. If the central government had rejected or kept this proposal pending, the Left Front (LDF) and the Congress-led coalition (UDF) would have made it a major election issue. They would have sent the message to the public that the central government does not respect Kerala’s language and culture. By immediately approving it, the central government has snatched this major election issue from the opposition. Now, the BJP can tell the people of Kerala that we fully respect your mother tongue and your regional identity.
The Pressure of Consensus
The Kerala Assembly passed this resolution unanimously on June 24, 2024. This means that both the ruling Communist Party (LDF) and the opposition Congress (UDF) were on board. When the entire state assembly makes a unanimous demand, it becomes difficult for the central government to ignore it for long in a democratic system.
What is the true meaning of the word ‘Kerala’?
First, Malayalam-speaking people have always referred to their state as ‘Kerala’. This is not a new name, but rather the original name of this land. There are two main theories behind this name.
So how did the name “Kerala” come about?
If the original name was Keralam, how did it become “Kerala” on official documents? Its roots lie in India’s independence and the reorganization of states. On November 1, 1956, when states were being formed based on language under the “States Reorganization Act,” a new state was created by combining the Malayalam-speaking regions of Malabar, Cochin, and Travancore. The drafters of the Constitution and the English-speaking bureaucrats translated it into English as “Kerala.” In North India and the Hindi heartland, it became known as “Kerala.” Although “Malayalam” is a recognized language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, the state was named “Kerala.” The people of the state have long harbored a grudge that while they call themselves “Kerala” in their mother tongue, the name of their state remains incomplete at the official and international levels.
