Kerala Name Changes To 'Keralam'?
In a significant move aimed at embracing its cultural and linguistic heritage, the Kerala Legislative Assembly has passed a resolution requesting the Central government to change the name of the state from ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam‘.
In Malayalam, the state was denoted as ‘Keralam’, but in alternative languages, it is called as ‘Kerala’. The necessity to unite the Malayalam-speaking communities into a harmonious Kerala gained significant prominence during the period of India’s fight for freedom.
The term ‘Keralam’ traces its roots to the fusion of two Malayalam words – “Kera,” symbolizing coconut, and “Alam” denoting land. Thus, ‘Keralam’ intricately encase the essence of the “Land of Coconut Trees” paying homage to the state’s prolific coconut cultivation, a pivotal contributor amounting to about 45% of India’s overall coconut harvest.
The proposal involves a modification of the current nomenclature to ‘Keralam,’ a change that is sought to be instituted through the provisions of Article 3 of the Constitution. This alteration would encompass the adoption of ‘Keralam’ as the state’s official name across all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
Coinciding with the name change resolution, Kerala will commemorate ‘Keraleeyam 2023’ starting from November 1. This event is set to be a grand showcase of the state’s accomplishments and contributions on the global stage. As Kerala transitions to ‘Keralam’, it is poised to present its cultural, economic, and social achievements to the world, underlining the significance of preserving its linguistic heritage and identity.
The modern state of Kerala was established along linguistic lines in 1956, a significant juncture that witnessed the inclusion of the Malabar Coast and the Kasargod taluka (administrative subdivision) from South Kanara into the newly evolving Travancore-Cochin entity. In this transformative phase, the southern sector of the erstwhile Travancore-Cochin state became an integral part of Tamil Nadu.
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