Why does Kerala want to change its name to Keralam?

Kerala Legislative Assembly has passed a resolution requesting the Centre to officially change the name of the state to Keralam. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan moved the resolution saying, in “Malayalam language it is Keralam, while in other languages it is called Kerala”. Since India’s freedom struggle, the need to form a united Kerala for the Malayalam speaking communities has been emphasized. States were formed based on language on November 1, 1956. But the name of the state is written as Kerala in the First Schedule of the Constitution, the chief minister said. The resolution was moved under Rule 1.8 in Kerala Assembly. It will be sent to the President of India for further action. All Malayalis use the moniker Keralam, but people outside the state say Kerala, says BS Anil Kumar, Assistant Editor, the Times of India, Thiruvananthapuram. What does Keralam mean? The words Kerala and Keralam are not the same. For instance, you could say “Indian art form” and “Indian cuisine”. We cannot say, “India art form” and “India cuisine”. The word Kerala cannot stand as an independent moniker. What are the historical reasons for the name change? Reference of the moniker Keralam can be found in the edicts of Emperor Ashoka in 3rd century BC, say historians. Also, there are references of Keralam in Valmiki Ramayana. Historians like MG Shashi Bhushan say the name Keralam emerged from the word “kerum”, which is Malayalam for coconut tree. Other experts do not agree. Cultivation of coconut trees began only by the 9th century BC in this part of the country, they say. Some texts argue it came from the Malayalam translation for the land of lying close to the hills. Another argument is that it was Cherala, that is the land of Chera dynasty. Cherala later became Kerala. There are numerous references of Keralam in our texts and history, never of Kerala. Ashoka’s edicts use the words, “Kerala Putra”, which means “son of Kerala”. This is not the first time that the state has changed the name of its cities. The state changed names that got anglicized by the Britishers. For instance, the state had to change the anglicized name Trivandrum back to Thiruvananthapuram, which means the land of Lord Vishnu. Cochin was changed to its original name Kochi. Allappey’s name was changed back to Alappuzha. Calicut was changed back to Kozikode, so on and so forth. In most cases, the British twisted local names because they found it impossible to pronounce them correctly. They even changed the name of Sultan Bathery to Sultan Battery! What is the constitutional procedure to change the name of a place? PDT Achary, former Secretary General of the Lok Sabha, said the state requests the Centre to make changes in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution. The resolution is sent to the President for action. Constitutional experts say though it requires changes in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution, it doesn't call for a constitutional amendment. Changes can be made by the Parliament by passing an ordinary bill. As per the procedure, the Centre must prepare a draft bill and seek opinion from the State Assembly. This means that even if the Assembly has unanimously passed the resolution, the Centre has to frame a bill and share it with the state. In short, the call rests with the Centre. The state can only make a request. The Centre can reject it outrightly or accept it. What took the state so long to make the demand? The resolution was not the result of a long-pending demand. There were no pre-discussions. The correction in the name is seen as a welcome move by people from all walks of life. Seventy-five years in the history of a nation is not a very long period. It was after relentless efforts of the successive governments that Malayalam was recognized as a classical language, in 2013. What is the political motive behind the call for a name-change? Over the years, almost all states in the country have started asserting their own characteristics, cultures, and values. India being a vast country, it is difficult for people to always understand cultures of another state. People outside Tamil Nadu call Jallikattu barbarian, but people in Tamil Nadu view it in another perspective. Such differences exist everywhere. States want to set the records right. We all know that north Indians used to refer the entire population in the southern states as “Madrasis” till a few decades ago. It is not an acceptable term. It is not the convenience that matters. Addressing a person with an incorrect name and incorrect pronunciation is always considered an insult. The same is applicable to states and countries too. Audio Production: Shantanu Nanoti