Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s witty take on the renaming of Kerala to ‘Keralam’ — particularly his quip about what residents should now be called — has drawn a sharp response from CPI(M) MP John Brittas, who retorted that a simple glide from ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam’ would hardly trigger an “identity extinction event”.
Tharoor, reacting on Tuesday after the Union Cabinet approved the CPI(M)-led state government’s proposal to rename the state, wondered what would happen to terms such as “Keralite” and “Keralan” for the “denizens” of the newly named “Keralam”.
“Keralamite sounds like a microbe and Keralamian like a rare earth mineral,” he joked, adding that the Chief Minister might want to launch a competition to coin new terms “resulting from this electoral zeal”.
Brittas responded sharply, urging Tharoor to “step away from the microbe-mineral anxiety” and pointing out that people in the state would continue to identify themselves as Malayalees or Mallus.
“We’ve survived quite happily as Malayalees in polite society and Mallus among friends (and in JNU, where it was equal parts tease and term of endearment). A gentle glide from “Kerala” to “Keralam” is not going to trigger an identity extinction event,” the Rajya Sabha MP, a JNU alumnus, said in a social media post.
He also noted that people from other states — such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Bengal — are commonly identified by linguistic identities like Telugu, Tamilian and Bengali. “No one panicked, coined ‘Teluguite,’ or set Twitter on fire,” he remarked.
“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.” Brittas, who is also from Kerala continued.
The Left MP added, “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. “
On Tuesday, the Union Cabinet approved a proposal of the CPI(M)-led Kerala government to change the name of the state to Keralam The decision came just two months ahead of the assembly elections in the state.
Prime Minister Modi hailed the Cabinet decision, saying it reflects the will of the people of the state and in line with the efforts to strengthen the connect with country’s glorious culture.
– Ends
Published On:
Feb 25, 2026
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