Road from Kerala to Keralam laid over a path of cultural identity, politics

History

Once the boundaries for the Indian states were redrawn post-independence merging the princely states of Travancore, Cochin, and the British-governed Malabar region, which fell under the Madras Presidency, Kerala, as we know it today, came to be in 1956. When the other southern states were named and officially recognised by the States Reorganisation Commission, the anglicised name was given to Kerala even as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka took form.

At the time and later, when several cities were renamed all across the country, Kerala’s city glossary too changed. Quilon was changed to Kollam, Cannanore to Kannur, Trivandrum to Thiruvananthapuram, and Cochin to Kochi. More recently, a quaint little island that the British called Anjengo was renamed to its Anjuthengu, which means ‘five coconut trees’.

Cultural activists championed the cause of renaming this tiny island sandwiched between the sea and the backwaters. They said that this place has high relevance in India’s history with colonial powers – The Portuguese, Dutch, and the English – occupying it, and that it was important to correct the mispronunciation.

KV Thomas, senior CPM leader and special representative of Kerala to the Centre said the state’s name change is along the same lines. “This has been an ongoing process. There has been a steady movement in Kerala to distance ourselves from the colonial past. In the recently concluded fourth session of the ‘All World Malayalis’, in Thiruvananthapuram, many global Malayalis who are cultural ambassadors decided that it was time that Kerala be known as Keralam.” Thomas said the global group had passed similar resolutions in the first, second, and third annual sessions.

Timing, and political consideration

However, political analysts view this differently. With under two years left for the Kerala state elections, this is seen as a masked attempt by Pinarayi to appeal to his voters’ cultural moorings. “After the poor performance and the drubbing, the Left received in the parliamentary elections, this is a tactic used to appeal to the socio-cultural identity of the Malayalis,” said NP Chekutty, author and political commentator. Also, it is a diversionary tactic to take the limelight off the government’s poor performance, Chekutty said.

That cultural practices reap handsome returns is perhaps what the chief minister has learned from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is making headwinds in the state with its first-ever elected member from Thrissur. The ideological parent, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) - BJP combine have for decades led the ‘Shoba Yatra’ in Kerala during Krishnashtami.

“During this yatra, children from families who support the Left and the Congress also participate in this two-day yatra. I have seen so many non-RSS people contribute during the Ashtami-Rohini festival because they are moved and are given to cultural persuasion,” Chekutty said.

With a nationwide renaming exercise of many important roads and places seen in the last 10 years of the BJP government, including Allahabad and other cities, Vijayan, analysts said, has used this to score a political point. Others reckon that the Kerala CM has taken a leaf out of his Tamil Nadu counterpart MK Stalin’s strong sub-regional, linguistic stance.

With the Congress supporting the resolution as well, Vijayan or other politburo members do not envisage any obstacle in seeing it through even at the union home ministry level. “With the Wayanad by-election around, it would be counter-productive for the Congress to oppose it. Instead, they will use their 18-MP strength in the parliament and share credit for this resolution to be passed at the centre,” said Damodar Prasad, a former Calicut University professor.

Changes in Kerala’s society and culture

Prasad pointed out that Vijayan’s decision to bring about the name change now is to stall Kerala’s lower-middle class from sympathising with the BJP. In the recent parliamentary election, the OBCs and Dalits voted in large measure, especially in the northern Kerala region for the BJP. Thanks to the BJP’s subaltern Hindutva exercise, the Theeyas and Eezhavas who constitute the Left’s voter base are slowly shifting to the BJP, Prasad said.

But, politics apart, there is a visible change in Kerala’s cultural scene, a senior artist from the famous cultural Academy Kalamandalam, who did not wish to be named, said. “With most well-qualified Malayalis living overseas or outside the state in the last half a century, the OBCs and the lower middle class have begun occupying prominent positions in industry, art, and culture. The Malayalam movie industry, for instance, which was once dominated by upper-class Hindus and Christians is now being run by OBCs and Muslims.” The demand for cultural renaissance is coming from the neo-rich, the senior artist said.

When Kerala was formed in 1956, it was mostly the upper-class Nairs, Menons, and Pillais - the English-speaking, well-qualified professionals - who had a hold over the socio-cultural narrative in the state. However, with the Gulf migration absorbing a large number of professionals from the state, the cultural void is seen being filled by the lower middle class.

“The economic discrepancies have narrowed between the upper-class and lower-class in Kerala with education and healthcare reforms in the last 50 years. But cultural discrepancies are coming to the fore only now. The name change in Kerala is a signal of the transition of cultural expression from one class to another,” Chekutty said, pointing that Vijayan was among the first to take notice of this and tap it for political mileage.

As class and colonial traditions are being challenged, the name change is no street protest or a show of chest-thumping regional nationalism. The Kalamandalam artist quoted above said, “While the name change is welcomed by all, there is no extreme emotion in Kerala about this. We have been a cosmopolitan state and our land has had contact with the Dutch, Romans, and Portuguese through the seas. Cultural re-assertion is happening quietly and political messaging loudly.”