Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has issued a new directive mandating that the Chief Minister and all Ministers be addressed as “Bahumanapetta” (Honourable) in official replies to complaints and applications, triggering widespread criticism over its constitutional validity.
According to officials, the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department released the circular on August 30, making it compulsory to prefix Ministers’ names with the honorific even in grievance-redressal communications. Signed by an Under Secretary, the circular has been circulated to all government departments, district collectors and heads of offices with instructions to ensure strict compliance.
The order specifies that officials responding to complaints or applications received by Ministers must also adhere to the new rule.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from legal experts and civil society groups, who have questioned whether the directive violates Article 18 of the Constitution, which abolishes titles other than military or academic distinctions. Critics argue that the framers of the Constitution intended respect for public leaders to be earned through service and conduct rather than mandatory honorifics.
Observers say the directive is particularly striking at a time when courts and legal institutions across India are shedding colonial-era practices of excessive honorifics. Senior bureaucrats note that Kerala’s order appears to move “in the opposite direction” of such reforms.
“Instead of focusing on resolving complaints efficiently, the emphasis has been placed on safeguarding ministerial prestige,” a former official remarked. Critics warn the directive risks alienating citizens by prioritising protocol over accountability.
The controversy has sparked a wider debate on whether governments should be mandating respect through titles at a time when democratic institutions elsewhere are moving towards simplification and equality in official interactions.
All eyes are now on the upcoming Assembly session beginning next week to see how the Congress-led Opposition, which has long accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of autocratic functioning, will raise the issue.
With IANS inputs