THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The governor’s residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday unveiled the name board reading ‘Lok Bhavan Kerala’ in English and Malayalam, marking the official shift from Raj Bhavan in line with the Union government’s directive to rename governors’ residences across the country.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar personally inspected the newly installed board, calling the move a step towards bringing public institutions closer to the people.
“We are trying to dispel ourselves from the colonial hangover. Because of that hangover, we used terms like ‘Raj Bhavan’ and ‘Rajpath’. Now the Government of India has decided to change them, and Raj Bhavans will be known as Lok Bhavans because they belong to the people. All public institutions are now going to the public.
I wish the people in Kerala would appreciate it,” Arlekar said. The idea of renaming
Raj Bhavan as Lok Bhavan and Raj Niwas as Lok Niwas was first proposed by Arlekar during the All India Governors’ Conference in 2022, when he was serving as the governor of Bihar.
Explaining his rationale, he said the residences are public property and should reflect that spirit. “We cannot remain away from the public. That was the thought behind it, and all the governors supported the move,” he said.