Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has added a dash of wit to the political debate over renaming Kerala as “Keralam,” raising a linguistic question that has since caught public attention.
Reacting after Union Cabinet approved the proposal to alter the state’s name, Tharoor shared a post on social media X, where he wondered what residents would now be called if the change comes into force.
"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", the post read.
The post quickly went viral, with many praising the Thiruvananthapuram MP for putting humour into a largely political discussion.
Cabinet Nod for ‘Keralam’
On Tuesday, the Union Cabinet cleared the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Bill would be referred to the Kerala Legislative Assembly under Article 3 of the Constitution for its views.
The move follows a resolution passed by the Assembly in June 2024 seeking to officially rename the state as “Keralam.” The proposal comes ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
The post quickly went viral, with many praising the Thiruvananthapuram MP for injecting humour into a largely political discussion.
Beyond Semantics
While the state government, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has argued that “Keralam” better reflects the Malayalam name and historical identity of the region, Tharoor’s remarks spotlight the cultural and linguistic implications of the change.
The Bill will now follow constitutional procedures before being introduced in Parliament for final approval.
