‘Identity Not A Spelling Test’: John Brittas Hits Back At Shashi Tharoor Over ‘Keralamite’ Quip

A political exchange has erupted over the proposed renaming of Kerala to ‘Keralam’, with CPI(M) MP John Brittas criticising Congress MP Shashi Tharoor for his tongue-in-cheek remarks on what residents would be called after the change.

The controversy began after the Union Cabinet approved the CPI(M)-led state government’s proposal to rename the state. Reacting to the decision, Tharoor joked about possible demonyms for residents of “Keralam”.

“Keralamite sounds like a microbe and Keralamian like a rare earth mineral,” he quipped, suggesting the Chief Minister could even launch a competition to coin new terms arising from what he termed “electoral zeal”.

Brittas dismissed the concern, saying a simple glide from “Kerala” to “Keralam” would not trigger any “identity extinction event”. He urged Tharoor to “step away from the microbe-mineral anxiety” and emphasised that people from the state would continue to identify as Malayalees or Mallus.

“We’ve survived quite happily as Malayalees in polite society and Mallus among friends,” the Rajya Sabha MP wrote in a social media post. He also pointed out that residents of other states such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Bengal are commonly identified by linguistic identities like Telugu, Tamilian and Bengali without controversy.

“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 said, adding, “Identity isn’t a spelling test.”

The Cabinet’s approval of the name change comes just months ahead of Assembly elections in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the decision, stating that it reflects the will of the people and aligns with efforts to strengthen connections with India’s cultural heritage.

The political debate over nomenclature, however, appears set to continue.