Kerala MP John Brittas has hit out at Shashi Tharoor over the Congress leader’s comments on changing the state’s name. Tharoor, also an MP from Kerala, had earlier joked about Kerala being renamed Keralam.
On 24 February, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, formally approved Kerala’s proposal to change its name. In August 2023, the Kerala Legislative Assembly passed its first unanimous resolution to change the name.
It then adopted a second, revised unanimous resolution in June 2024. This was after the Union Home Ministry suggested technical changes to the original proposal.
What did Shashi Tharoor say?
The Thiruvananthapuram MP appreciated the name change. However, it had “a small linguistic issue for Anglophones”.
“Now what will happen to the terms ‘Keralit’ and ‘Keralan’ for the people of the new ‘Keralam’? ‘Keralamite’ sounds like a microbe and ‘Keralamian’ like a rare earth mineral…” he wrote.
Tharoor then tagged the Kerala CMO and asked for a “competition on new terms arising out of this election fervor”.
Read also | Kerala is now Keralam but Shashi Tharoor has a question
Answer by John Brittas
John Brittas responded to Shashi Tharoor’s remarks about the name ‘Keralam’ in a light and humorous tone.
“Please step away from micro-mineral anxiety,” the CPI(M) leader wrote.
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For years, he says, Malayalis have been comfortable using both “Malayalee” in formal settings and “Malla” among friends. A small shift from ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam’ will not compromise anyone’s identity.
He points out that people from Andhra are still called Telugu, people from Tamil Nadu are called Tamilians and Bengalis “shockingly” remain Bengalis. No one felt the need to invent new terms or stir up controversy over such names.
“So if ‘Keralam’ makes you invent new demonic names, feel free to go with ‘Keralite.’ The rest of us will continue Malayalee/Mallu, as we have for decades,” he wrote.
“Because identity isn’t a spelling test. It’s what survives when you order biryani in Delhi and someone shouts, ‘Mallu da!’—with a smile,” he added.
Reaction on social networks
Several social media users responded to John Brittas’ post. Many of them made it funny.
“Malayalis don’t seek approval from anyone or wait for anything to be handed down – our pride comes from within, it’s rooted in our culture. With biryani – whether it’s Delhi or Davenport – if ‘Mallu’ ordered it, it’s definitely not a vegetarian biryani,” wrote one.
Read also | Union Cabinet approves name change from Kerala to Keralam
Another user wrote: “Useless discussion. Shashi anna should direct his formidable intellect and drive towards more demanding challenges rather than attending trivial nomenclatural sound and fury.”
“Try Karelam… We use Karola or Uchhe in Shukto… So go to Karelam for Bengal Kerala Marxist bhai bhai ethos. Kerala to Corolla,” wrote a Bengali user.
“If only changing the panty would stop diarrhoea. People carry on as if nothing has changed and will continue to do so for centuries. Madras, Calcutta, Bombay, Baroda, Benares are still popular. It will never be a Varanasi saree, but it will remain a Benares saree,” came another.
