Kochi: Malayalam writer N S Madhavan raised concerns over pronunciation as debate continued over the proposed renaming of Kerala as “Keralam.”

“Except Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Marathi people, who else would be able to pronounce la (ള) in Keralam? ‍♀️ #Keralam,” he wrote on X, referring to the retroflex consonant used in Malayalam and several other Indian languages.

Earlier, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had also expressed his view on the issue, welcoming the move but pointing to its implications in English usage.

“All to the good, no doubt. But a small question for Anglophones among us: what becomes of ‘Keralite’ and ‘Keralan’ if the state is officially ‘Keralam’? ‘Keralamite’ sounds like a microbe, and ‘Keralamian’ like a rare earth mineral. Perhaps @CMOKerala should invite suggestions for new demonyms,” he said in a post on X.

The comments come amid reports that the Union Cabinet has approved the Kerala government’s proposal ahead of Assembly elections expected in April-May.

The remarks come amid reports that the Union Cabinet has cleared the Kerala government’s proposal, with the decision coming ahead of Assembly elections expected in April-May.

The Kerala Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution on June 24, 2024, urging the Centre to officially rename the state as Keralam. A similar resolution was first adopted in August 2023 and forwarded to the Union government. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs suggested technical modifications after reviewing it, prompting the Assembly to pass the revised resolution again.

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Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who introduced the motion, urged the Centre to amend the Constitution under Article 3 to effect the name change and ensure that “Keralam” is reflected in all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule.