Cabinet may clear move to rename Kerala as ‘Keralam’ ahead of polls
The move follows renewed push from the state government and follows a long-awaited demand for what supporters describe as the region’s original cultural and linguistic name to re-emerge in the national debate.
Momentum picked up after the Kerala Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution in June 2024 urging the Center to approve the amendment. An earlier version, adopted in 2023, was returned by the Union Home Ministry due to technical issues, prompting the state to submit a revised proposal. Any official renaming requires parliamentary approval under constitutional provisions governing changing state names.
This issue also led to rare political rapprochement. State BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar recently thanked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for responding positively to his letter supporting the move, signaling an unusual understanding between the opposition BJP and the ruling Left Democratic Front on a cultural issue.
Chandrasekhar said restoring ‘Keralam’ would honor the state’s civilizational and linguistic heritage.
In his reply, Vijayan noted that “Kerala” is the name historically used in the Malayalam language and that “Kerala” came into existence for administrative convenience during colonial rule. Supporters argue that the change would correct this legacy and bring the official name into line with local usage, where residents often call the state Keralam.
The proposal is largely symbolic and will not affect administrative boundaries, governance systems or existing documents. Still, with a Cabinet review imminent and bipartisan support visible, the decade-long campaign to formalize the traditional name looks closer to resolution than ever.
