Kerala Assembly passes new resolution to change state's name to 'Keralam'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Almost a year after the State Assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to bring in a Constitutional amendment to change the State's name to 'Keralam' from 'Kerala', the Assembly passed the resolution again on Monday with minor corrections. The House passed the new resolution after the Centre returned the earlier one pointing out corrections.

The resolution, moved by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, demanded that necessary measures should be taken under Article 3 of the Constitution to officially change the name of the state as 'Keralam' in the First Schedule of the Constitution. IUML MLA N Shamsudheen moved an amendment to the resolution suggesting to restructure the wording to bring in more clarity. The House, however, rejected the amendment.

A resolution seeking to officially change the state's name was unanimously passed on August 9 last year. The resolution asked the Centre to change the name of the state to 'Keralam' in the First Schedule of the Constitution. Similarly the resolution wanted the Centre to change the name as ‘Keralam’ in all languages under the Eighth Schedule.

However, upon detailed verification, it was found that such an amendment required only in the First Schedule of the Constitution. That's why a new resolution is being brought in, explained the chief minister.

In his resolution, CM Pinarayi pointed out that the name ‘Keralam’ is commonly used in Malayalam. However, the State is being called as ‘Kerala’ in official records. It is in this backdrop that the resolution was moved.