Thiruvananthapuram: In a unanimous decision, the Kerala Legislative Assembly has adopted a resolution urging the Central government to officially alter the state’s name from ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam.’ The proposal, brought forth by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, aims to reflect the state’s name as ‘Keralam’ in Malayalam, aligning it with the linguistic essence of the region.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan introduced the resolution during the Assembly session, where the Congress-led UDF opposition declined to propose any amendments or revisions to the proposal. Vijayan emphasised that the state’s name is ‘Keralam’ in the Malayalam language, and while states were established based on linguistic considerations on November 1, 1956, the name ‘Kerala’ is noted in the First Schedule of the Constitution.
The resolution fervently appeals to the Union Government to promptly enact the change under Article 3 of the Constitution, modifying the state’s name to ‘Keralam’ across all languages specified in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The Chief Minister expressed his hope that this adjustment would harmonise the state’s official designation with its linguistic identity.
Furthermore, the Kerala state is gearing up to celebrate ‘Keraleeyam 2023’ from November 1, dedicated to highlighting the state’s remarkable achievements on a global scale.
Notably, the Kerala Legislative Assembly also passed a resolution on the preceding day, registering their collective dissent against the central government’s proposed implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) nationwide, serving as an appeasement to minorities. The Assembly articulated their concerns, expressing apprehension that such a move could compromise the secular character of the Constitution.
While both ruling and opposition figures argued that the Uniform Civil Code could be perceived as detrimental to minority interests, the opposition refrained from unequivocally opposing the Speaker’s perceived bias against the Hindu community. This highlights the perceived leanings towards minority appeasement and anti-Hindu sentiment within both ruling and opposition circles. The Chief Minister, who highlighted the religious underpinnings of the RSS in the context of the Uniform Civil Code, has remained reticent regarding the anti-Hindu statements made by Speaker AN Shamseer and the ensuing widespread protests.
Comments