New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to officially rename Kerala as “Keralam”, endorsing the state government’s long standing effort to restore the name’s original Malayalam form. The change follows two unanimous resolutions passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly in August 2023 and June 2024, urging an amendment to the First Schedule of the Constitution so that “Keralam” is reflected across all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule.
The resolutions were introduced by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and received support from both the ruling Left Democratic Front and the Congress led United Democratic Front. The state government has described the move as a necessary correction in official records rather than a symbolic gesture.
At the heart of the proposal lies a linguistic argument. In Malayalam, the state has always been known as “Keralam”. Scholars point out that in Dravidian languages, place names often end with the suffix “am”, as seen in terms like Tamilakam. Linguistic experts explain that when such words entered English usage, the final consonant was often dropped, leading to simplified forms. In this way, “Keralam” gradually became “Kerala” in English and other languages.
The origins of the name stretch back to ancient history. Historians link it to the Chera dynasty, which ruled parts of the region. The term “Cheralam”, combining “Chera” and “alam” meaning land or region, is believed to have evolved phonetically into “Keralam” over centuries. Further evidence appears in Rock Edict II of Ashoka, where the southern ruler “Keralaputra” is mentioned, marking one of the earliest references to the name.
Support for the renaming has widened politically. The state unit of the BJP has also backed the proposal, with its president Rajeev Chandrasekhar expressing support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Minister.
With the Cabinet’s approval, the transition to “Keralam” moves closer to formal implementation, underscoring a renewed emphasis on linguistic heritage and historical continuity.
