Kerala is officially on its way to becoming Keralam. The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, gave the thumbs-up this on (February 24, 2026) to the state’s long-standing appeal to swap its name in the Constitution from “Kerala” to “Keralam”—In the way always said it in Malayalam.
The accommodate “Kerala” came from colonial times, but now we’re aligning the official English version with our roots. The state symbol already says “Keralam,” and so do countless cultural nods. This is about pride in our language and history, especially since states were redrawn on linguistic lines back in 1956.
The push started a while back. The Kerala Assembly passed a united resolution on June 24, 2024 (they’d attempt once before in 2023 too), asking the Centre to modernize the First Schedule of the Constitution. CM Pinarayi Vijayan and the LDF government kept it alive, framing it as claim back our identification. With assembly elections all over the corner—probably April or May 2026—has folks speculating about politics.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw broke the news: the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, goes to the Kerala Assembly for their views under Article 3. Then presidential nod, Parliament debate, and boom—it’s official. Not instant, but the green light is huge.
And then there’s Shashi Tharoor, doing what he does best—turning policy into pure gold with words. The Thiruvananthapuram MP jumped on X right after the announcement: “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’?” He cracked up everyone by saying “‘Keralamite’ sounds like a microbe and ‘Keralamian’ like a rare earth mineral…! CMOKerala might want to launch for new terms resulting from this electoral zeal.
Classic Tharoor—witty, playful, and spot-on.
For most of us from (or loving) the state, this is heartwarming. It’s not erasing anything; it’s just making the name match how we’ve always felt it. Maps, signs, passports, universities—there’ll be updates, but it’ll happen smoothly. In a country celebrating diversity, this fits perfectly. Exciting times ahead. Ente Keralam—soon to be official everywhere.
Sources:
The Hindu
Times of India
Hindustan Times
NDTV
WION
Shashi Tharoor’s X post
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s announcement
