Kerala Assembly unanimously passes resolution to change official name of State to ‘Keralam’

The resolution has also urged the Central government to change the usage as ‘Keralam’ in all the languages included under the Eighth Schedule.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan addresses the Assembly session, in Thiruvananthapuram. File | Photo Credit: PTI

The State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution urging the Central government to officially change the name of the State from ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam.’

The Assembly has sought an amendment in the Constitution, which too refers to the State as ‘Kerala,’ in this regard.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented the contents of the resolution in the House under Rule 118 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

While ‘Keralam’ is the accepted and common usage in Malayalam, the State is generally referred to as ‘Kerala’ in official records, especially those in English. The First Schedule of the Constitution also specifies the name of the State as ‘Kerala.’

‘’The name of our State in Malayalam is ‘Keralam.’ States were reorganised on linguistic basis on November 1, 1956. The ‘Keralappiravi’ day is also celebrated on November 1. The demand for a united Keralam for the people who speak Malayalam as their mother tongue had been strong since the days of the freedom struggle. However, the First Schedule of the Constitution specifies the name of the State as ‘Kerala.’ Urgent measures are needed, under Article 3 of the Constitution, to amend it as ‘Keralam,’ ’‘ the resolution said.

Article 3 deals with the formation of new States and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing States.

The resolution has also urged the Central government to change the usage as ‘Keralam’ in all the languages included under the Eighth Schedule.