Indian PM Modi tweets in Malayalam to hail Kerala’s name change to Keralam
BJP calls move tribute to state’s linguistic roots; Tharoor questions electoral zeal
Dubai: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken to social media in Malayalam to mark Union Cabinet Committee’s approval to rename the south Indian state of Kerala as “Keralam”.
In his tweet, Modi praised the willpower of the state’s people and said the move strengthens the bond with India’s rich cultural heritage.
“The Union Cabinet Committee's decision to rename the state from 'Kerala' to 'Keralam' reflects the willpower of the state's people. This is part of our efforts to strengthen our bond with our great culture,” Modi’s post in Malayalam said.
Why this change?
While Kerala was formed on November 1, 1956, as a state on linguistic lines, it has been officially recorded as “Kerala” despite being known as “Keralam” in Malayalam.
The Central government’s approval to change the name of the state follows resolutions moved by the Kerala government under Article 3 of the Constitution.
The Legislative Assembly of Kerala had passed a resolution on 24.06.2024 appealing to the Central Government to take urgent steps as per Article 3 of the Constitution for modifying the name as 'Keralam'. A similar resolution passed in 2023 had earlier been returned by the Union Home Ministry, reports said.
The move to approve the name change comes ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections expected in April or May 2026.
However, the Union Government has cited various administrative procedures that have taken place.
As per that, the matter regarding the alteration of the state’s name was considered in the Ministry of Home Affairs and with the approval of Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs and the Union Minister of Cooperation, the draft Note for the Cabinet for the alteration of name was circulated to the Department of Legal Affairs and Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice for their comments.
The Department of Legal Affairs and Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice have concurred with the proposal for the alteration of name, following which the Union Cabinet Committee has approved it.
BJP, Tharoor react
Meanwhile, reacting to the development, the Bharatiya Janata Party said the move honours the state’s linguistic roots and celebrates India’s true identity.
“The Union government’s approval to rename Kerala as Keralam reflects deep respect for the state’s linguistic traditions and historical identity. This symbolic yet powerful decision shows how governance can align with culture, ensuring that modern India remains firmly rooted in its timeless heritage,” BJP said on social media.
However, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor asked what Anglophones would now call residents of the state and mocked the electoral zeal.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP said: “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 said in a post on X.
What next?
The next step involves sending the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to the Kerala State Legislative Assembly for its views.
Once these are received, the President of India will recommend the Bill to Parliament for final approval to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution.
By standardising “Keralam” across all languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, the government said it aims to honour the historical and cultural roots of the Malayalam-speaking population.
