Kerala Assembly’s demand to rename state as “Keralam’
Context:
The Kerala Assembly’s recent unanimous resolution urging the Centre to rename the state from “Kerala” to “Keralam” has sparked attention due to its historical and cultural significance.
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- This move, reiterated after a previous attempt last year, aims to align the state’s official name in the Constitution with its Malayalam pronunciation and ancient etymological roots.
- The resolution seeks a constitutional amendment under Article 3, reflecting Kerala’s linguistic identity and its journey from the integration of princely states to its formation as a unified state in 1956.
Background of the Demand for Renaming
- The name “Keralam” originates from ancient texts, notably Emperor Ashoka’s Rock Edict II from 257 BCE.
- “Keralaputra,” meaning “son of Kerala” in Sanskrit, is associated with the Chera dynasty of southern India.
- Some Scholars suggest “keram” in Kannada and “cheram” in Old Tamil refer to coastal lands between Gokarna and Kanyakumari.
- This indicates the term “Keralam” has an early geographical context in southern India.
Resolution Passed by Kerala Assembly
- The resolution highlights the discrepancy between the state’s Malayalam name (“Keralam”) and its official listing as “Kerala” in the Constitution.
- It seeks a constitutional amendment under Article 3 to align the state’s official name with its linguistic identity.
- A similar resolution from the previous year was reintroduced to correct technical issues and clarify its scope to include amendments to both the First Schedule and the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
Procedure to Change the Name of a State
Historical Context of Statehood
- In the 1920s, there was a demand for a united Malayalam-speaking state.
- Travancore and Cochin princely states and the Malabar district of the Madras Presidency were integrated in 1949, forming Travancore-Cochin.
- The State Reorganisation Commission, led by Syed Fazl Ali, recommended states based on linguistic principles.
- Kerala was formed on November 1, 1956, including Malabar and Kasargod but excluding some taluks now part of Tamil Nadu.
