Kerala name change: MP John Brittas takes dig at Shashi Tharoor over Keralam remark, ‘Identity isn’t a spelling test’

Kerala MP John Brittas has taken a dig at Shashi Tharoor over the Congress leader’s comments about the state’s name change. Tharoor, also an MP from Kerala, earlier joked about Kerala being renamed as 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 seeking the name change.

Then, in June 2024, it had a second, revised unanimous resolution. It was after the Union Home Ministry suggested technical changes to the initial proposal.

What did Shashi Tharoor say?

The Thiruvananthapuram MP appreciated the name change. However, it had a “small linguistic question for the Anglophones”.

“What happens now to the terms “Keralite” and “Keralan” for the denizens of the new “Keralam”? “Keralamite” sounds like a microbe and “Keralamian” like a rare earth mineral…” he wrote.

Tharoor then tagged CMO Kerala and asked for the launch of a “competition for new terms resulting from this electoral zeal”.

John Brittas’ reply

John Brittas responded to Shashi Tharoor’s remarks about the name “Keralam” with a light and humorous tone.

“Please step away from the microbe-mineral anxiety,” wrote the CPI(M) leader.

He says Malayalees have comfortably used both “Malayalee” in formal settings and “Mallu” among friends for years. A small shift from “Kerala” to “Keralam” will not threaten anyone’s identity.

He points out that people from Andhra are still called Telugu, those from Tamil Nadu are called Tamilian, and Bengalis “shockingly” remain Bengali. No one felt the need to invent new terms or create controversy over such names.

“So if “Keralam” makes you itch to invent new demonyms, feel free to clutch “Keralite.” The rest of us will continue with Malayalee/Mallu, as we have for decades,” he wrote.

“Because identity isn’t a spelling test. It’s what survives when you’re ordering biryani in Delhi and someone yells, “Mallu da!” — with a grin,” he added.

Social media reaction

Several social media users reacted to John Brittas’ post. Many of them made it funny.

“Malayalis seek no one’s approval and wait for nothing handed down — our pride comes from within, rooted in our culture. With biryani — be it Delhi or Davenport — if a 'Mallu' ordered it, it’s definitely not going to be a vegetarian biryani,” wrote one of them.

Another user wrote, “Needless discussion. Shashi anna should channel his formidable intellect and vigour toward more exigent challenges rather than attending trivial nomenclature sound and fury.”

“Try Karelam... We use Karola or Uchhe in Shukto... So go for Karelam for Bengal Kerala Marxist bhai bhai ethos. Kerala to Corolla,” wrote a Bengali user.

“Only if changing underpants would stop diarrhea. People carry on as if nothing has changed and will do so for centuries. Madras, Calcutta, Bombay, Baroda, Benares are still popular. It will never be Varanasi sari but remain Benares sari,” came from another.