70 years of Kerala story

Keralam is celebrating its 70th year on 1 November 2026. | Photo credit: SREEJITH R KUMAR

Long before 70 years ago, on 1 November 1956, Keralam officially existed as a state uniting the Malayalam-speaking regions, the idea existed in the minds of many people who lived in three fragments—two princely states and part of a British-ruled state—that later merged to form the Malayalam homeland. The idea of ​​this imaginary state was shaped by several social reform movements as well as political and cultural interventions that transformed a feudalistic, oppressive and caste-based society into a more just and even a model society within a few decades.

Many of these ideas are so deeply embedded in the Malaysian collective memory that they survive to this day, with their traces visible in government programs, the public mood of much of society in times of crisis, the awareness of the rights of its citizens, and a strong secular bias, despite severe challenges in recent years.

Published – 01 Nov 2026 06:00 IST