Kerala state turns 55

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala today celebrated its 54th state formation day, commemorating the political integration of Malayalam-speaking areas, which remained fragmented till November 1, 1956.

To mark the occasion, government departments and cultural forums organised seminars and cultural programmes and reviewed the progress made by the state in various sectors over the last five-and-a-half decades.

The day was also celebrated as 'Malayalam Day', though the language is yet to get the "classical status" along with other south Indian languages like Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.

"We hope our earnest efforts to have Malayalam conferred the classical status would materialise soon. Malayalam has every right to have that honour. We will continue our efforts," state Culture Minister M A Baby said.

The Kerala state was formed on November 1, 1956, integrating the Malabar region, which was part of the erstwhile composite Madras state, with state of Travancore-Cochin.

Travancore and Cochin, both princely states, had been merged shortly after independence in 1947.

A "United Kerala" had been a strong demand of the Congress and the Communist party during the freedom struggle.

Leading Malayalam writers of the last century, especially nationalist poet Vallathol Narayana Menon, had incessantly campaigned for formation of "United Kerala" bringing together people speaking Malayalam.