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CPI welcomes renaming of Kerala, calls it 'intrinsic to the Malayalam'

February 24, 2026 5 min read Polity & Governance Art & Culture GS Paper 1 GS Paper 2
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What Happened

  • The Communist Party of India (CPI) welcomed the Union Cabinet's approval of Kerala's renaming to "Keralam," calling it "intrinsic to the Malayalam language" and a long-overdue restoration of the state's original linguistic identity.
  • The renaming, approved by the Union Cabinet on February 24, 2026, originated in the Kerala Legislative Assembly resolution of June 24, 2024, which was passed with broad cross-party support.
  • CPI's position: the name "Keralam" is not merely a cosmetic change but an affirmation of the state's Malayalam-speaking identity, its literary heritage, and resistance to Anglicised impositions on Indian place names.
  • Across the political spectrum — from BJP (which leads the Union government) to Congress, CPI, and CPM (which leads the state government) — there was no significant opposition to the renaming, making this an unusual instance of national political consensus.
  • The constitutional process now underway under Article 3 requires Parliament to pass the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 with an ordinary majority — no state can block the change, and no special majority is required.
  • The renaming fits within a broader post-Independence pattern of Indian cities and states reasserting their original linguistic identities in place of colonial-era transliterations.

Static Topic Bridges

Malayalam Language — History, Classical Status, and Eighth Schedule

Malayalam is a Dravidian language spoken primarily in Kerala and Lakshadweep, with significant diaspora populations in the Gulf, the US, and the UK. It is one of the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and has held Classical Language status since 2013.

  • The Eighth Schedule (Articles 344 and 351) lists 22 scheduled languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. (Sindhi was added by the 21st Amendment, 1967; Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali by the 71st Amendment, 1992; Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santali by the 92nd Amendment, 2003.)
  • Classical Language criteria (as defined by the Linguistic Experts Committee under MoE): high antiquity (1,500-2,000 years of recorded history), ancient body of literature, original and not borrowed from another language. Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014) have been so designated.
  • Classical Language status brings benefits: two national awards for eminent scholars of the language (Rashtriya Sahitya Samman); a Centre of Excellence for Studies; and UGC funding for development of the language.
  • "Keralam" as a word appears in the Sangam-era Tamil literary tradition (c. 300 BCE–300 CE) — one of the oldest literary references to the region, predating the Anglicised "Kerala" by nearly 2,000 years.

Connection to this news: CPI's framing of the Keralam renaming as "intrinsic to Malayalam" draws on this deep linguistic identity — the restoration of the original name is simultaneously a cultural, political, and constitutional act.

Decolonisation of Indian Place Names — A National Pattern

India's post-Independence history includes a series of city and state name changes that replaced colonial-era Anglicisations with original or vernacular names. These changes reflect the assertion of local linguistic and cultural identity as part of the broader decolonisation project.

  • City name changes: Bombay → Mumbai (1995, Maharashtra Government under Shiv Sena); Calcutta → Kolkata (2001, West Bengal Government); Madras → Chennai (1996, Tamil Nadu Government); Bengaluru (from Bangalore, 2006); Thiruvananthapuram (from Trivandrum, 1991).
  • State name changes: Madras → Tamil Nadu (1969); Mysore → Karnataka (1973); Orissa → Odisha (2011); Uttaranchal → Uttarakhand (2006); Pondicherry → Puducherry (2006) — all through Article 3 procedure.
  • City name changes are made by state governments and do not require Parliamentary approval — they are governed by state laws and are simpler administratively. State renaming, however, requires Parliament (Article 3).
  • India's Constitution itself uses original Indian names in many places — "Bharat" is mentioned alongside "India" in Article 1; "Rajya Sabha" (Council of States) and "Lok Sabha" (House of the People) are the official constitutional names.

Connection to this news: The Keralam renaming is the latest episode in this decolonisation arc — correcting the colonial-era transliteration "Kerala" to the Malayalam original "Keralam," following the Odisha precedent of 2011.

Article 3 and the Role of Parliament in State Identity

Parliament's exclusive power over state naming under Article 3 creates a constitutional asymmetry: the people of a state may have a clear identity preference, but the formal recognition of that preference requires action by the national legislature.

  • This asymmetry was intentional — the Constitution's framers (drawing on the 1948 Dar Commission recommendation) were wary of linguistic separatism and wanted to ensure that state identity changes remained subject to national legislative oversight.
  • The Constituent Assembly debates (1948-49) show B.R. Ambedkar arguing for a strong centre with control over state reorganisation, while regional leaders argued for more autonomy. The Article 3 procedure reflects the Ambedkarite position.
  • The concept of "cooperative federalism" — where Centre and states work together on shared governance goals — is relevant here: the Keralam renaming exemplifies cooperative federalism at its most consensual, with the state legislature requesting a change and the Union Cabinet and Parliament acting on it.
  • India is described as a "Union of States" in Article 1 (not a "federation"), underscoring that states are not indestructible units — their boundaries, areas, and names are subject to Parliament's power.

Connection to this news: The broad political consensus around Keralam — state resolution, Union Cabinet approval, expected Parliament passage — demonstrates how Article 3's procedure, when used for identity affirmation rather than boundary contestation, can function as a cooperative and affirming constitutional instrument.

Key Facts & Data

  • Malayalam: Eighth Schedule language; Classical Language since 2013.
  • Eighth Schedule: 22 languages; additions by 21st (1967), 71st (1992), 92nd (2003) Amendments.
  • Six Classical Languages: Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada and Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), Odia (2014).
  • Kerala Legislative Assembly resolution: June 24, 2024 (cross-party support).
  • Union Cabinet approval: February 24, 2026.
  • Article 3(e): Parliament's power for state renaming; ordinary majority required; state views advisory.
  • Precedent: Orissa → Odisha (2011) — same type of linguistic identity correction.
  • City name changes (no Parliament needed): Bombay → Mumbai, Calcutta → Kolkata, Madras → Chennai — governed by state government orders.
  • "Keralam" etymology: Kera (coconut palm) + alam (land/place); appears in Sangam literature (c. 300 BCE–300 CE).
  • CPI's position: renaming "intrinsic to the Malayalam language and culture."