Kochi: In a unanimous decision, the Kerala Legislative Assembly has put forth a resolution urging the central government to formally change the state's name to 'Keralam'. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan introduced the resolution, citing that the state has historically been known as 'Keralam' in the Malayalam language. Explaining the rationale behind the move, Chief Minister Vijayan highlighted that while the eighth schedule of the Constitution designates the state as 'Kerala' in other official languages, its true name in Malayalam has always been 'Keralam'. He recalled that the formation of states along linguistic lines in India on November 1, 1956, included Kerala's creation, fulfilling a demand from the freedom struggle for a united Kerala State for all Malayalam-speaking people.

"The unanimous sentiment of this Assembly is to appeal to the Union Government to promptly initiate a constitutional amendment to rename the state as 'Keralam' under Article 3 of the Constitution. Furthermore, we request that our state be recognized as 'Keralam' in all languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule," added Chief Minister Vijayan.The historical context of Kerala's evolution sheds light on its journey. Formerly consisting of three distinct provinces – Malabar, Cochin, and Travancore – all predating the nation's independence, the eventual formation of Kerala took place long after India's liberation in 1947.

According to historical records, on July 1, 1949, the princely states of Travancore and Cochin were merged to establish the United State of Travancore and Cochin. Subsequently, it was renamed as the State of Travancore-Cochin in January of the following year. Further historical progression led to the birth of the present-day Kerala in 1956. This transformation involved the amalgamation of the Malabar Coast from Madras state (now Tamil Nadu) and the Kasargod taluka from South Kanara into the existing Travancore-Cochin entity. As Kerala embarks on this endeavor to embrace its linguistic heritage, the state assembly's resolution carries the hope of a meaningful renaming that resonates with the spirit of its people."

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