The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved Keral government’s proposal to change the name of state to Keralam, prompting a quick reaction from Shashi Tharoor, who quipped: “What happens to terms Keralite, Keralan?” Senior Congress leader Tharoor responded to the change with a pun, wondering what Anglophones would now call people living in the southern state.
“All to the good, no doubt, but a small linguistic question for the Anglophones among us: what happens now to the terms ‘Keralite’ and ‘Keralan’ for the denizens of the new ‘Keralam’? ‘Keralamite’ sounds like a microbe and ‘Keralamian’ like a rare earth mineral…! @CMOKerala might want to launch a competition for new terms resulting from this electoral zeal,” Tharoor made the remark in a post on X while sharing Mint’s report on the renaming.
Interestingly, his remarks quickly gained traction online, with users joining in to suggest alternatives and debate the finer points of English demonyms. Earlier in the day, the Union Cabinet approved a proposal of the Kerala government to change the name of the state to Keralam, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
The decision, which comes ahead of the assembly elections in the state, was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at its first meeting held at Seva Teerth, the new PMO complex. The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for altering the name of Kerala to Keralam, Vaishnaw said.
Prime Minister Modi hailed the Cabinet decision, saying it reflects the will of the people of the state. "It is in line with our efforts to strengthen the connect with our glorious culture," he said in a post on X.
The Kerala assembly elections are due in April this year, with the tenure of the 140-member current assembly ending on May 23. After the Union Cabinet's approval, the president of India will refer a Bill, namely the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to the Kerala Assembly for expressing its views under the proviso to Article 3 of the Constitution of India.
After receipt of the views of the Kerala Assembly, the government of India will obtain the recommendation of the president for the introduction of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to alter the name of Kerala to Keralam in Parliament, an official release said.
Asked why a decision like this was coming just ahead of the assembly elections in Kerala, Vaishnaw said decisions are taken by the Union Cabinet under Prime Minister Modi without keeping elections in view. "Decisions of setting up new rail corridors and starting of Vande Bharat trains in Kerala were taken up when elections were not there. Elections will be held, but all decisions which are in the interest of the country will be taken," he said.
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Kerala to become Keralam: Union Cabinet approves decision to rename state ahead of polls
