Shashi Tharoor’s Query On ‘Keralam’

Congress MP raises linguistic debate as Centre clears Kerala rename proposal

February 24, 2026: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor sparked a lively debate after reports said the Union Cabinet is set to clear a proposal to rename Kerala as “Keralam”. Reacting on X, Tharoor posed a tongue-in-cheek question about what residents would be called in English if the change is formalised. Wondering whether terms like “Keralite” and “Keralan” would give way to “Keralamite” or “Keralamian”, he joked that the Chief Minister’s Office might consider launching a competition to coin a suitable demonym. His remark quickly gained traction online, with users offering humorous and scholarly suggestions alike.

The reported Cabinet approval follows resolutions passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly urging the Centre to amend the Constitution to reflect the Malayalam name “Keralam” across all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had argued that the move better represents the state’s linguistic and cultural heritage, noting that the demand for a unified Kerala for Malayalam-speaking people dates back to the freedom movement. After suggested technical revisions by the Union Home Ministry, the Assembly passed the proposal again in June 2024 and forwarded it to the Centre.

If formalised through a constitutional amendment under Article 3, the First Schedule of the Constitution would be updated to reflect “Keralam” as the official name. The reported nod came during a Union Cabinet meeting held at Seva Teerth under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the move has drawn broad political backing within the state, Tharoor’s witty intervention has shifted part of the spotlight to the cultural and grammatical nuances accompanying the proposed change.