Kerala or Keralam? Shashi Tharoor raised questions on the name change proposal and said in English why only Kerala is correct. – ..

News India Live, Digital Desk: Amidst the unanimous resolution of the Kerala Assembly to change the name of the state to ‘Keralaam’, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, known for his outspoken rhetoric and linguistic command, has started a new debate. Sharing a long post on social media platform ‘X’, Tharoor has raised questions about the need for this change and its English grammar.

Shashi Tharoor’s main argument: “Understand language differences”

Shashi Tharoor clarified that he was not against the identity of the state, but linguistic nuances should not be ignored in the process of changing the name. His main points:

Malayalam vs English: Tharoor argues that the word ‘Kerala’ is absolutely correct as per the grammar of Malayalam language, but it is an established convention to say ‘Kerala’ in English.

Sanskrit and original roots: He said that the origin of the word ‘Kerala’ is linked to Sanskrit and ancient Tamil, where adding ‘M’ at the end is the specialty of Malayalam.

What changes are necessary?: Tharoor asked whether we should impose the same pronunciation in every language? Just as we say ‘India’ in English and ‘Bharat’ in Hindi, similarly what is the harm in saying ‘Kerala’ in Malayalam and ‘Kerala’ in other languages?

Constitutional dilemma: What does the rule say?

If the Central Government approves this proposal, then the Constitution First Schedule Will have to be amended.

Shashi Tharoor believes that this change may affect the identity of ‘Brand Kerala’ at the international level and in official documents, which has been known by that name for decades.

Debate broke out on social media

After this post of Tharoor, the internet is divided into two groups:

Supporter: Many agree with Tharoor that every language has its own nature and forced name change will only increase administrative complexity.

anti: At the same time, a large section is saying that when the names of Odisha, Puducherry and Karnataka (from Mysore) can be changed, then there should be no objection in changing the names to ‘Keralaam’ in respect of their mother tongue.

Government’s next step?

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has already said that this change is part of the cultural identity of the state. Now the ball is in the court of the central government. If the Cabinet approves it, a name change bill can be brought in the upcoming session of Parliament.