Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 10 (IANS) The Kerala government, on Wednesday, issued a new directive requiring that Ministers be addressed as “Bahumanapetta” (Honourable) in all official responses to complaints and applications, officials said.

The Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department released the circular on August 30, making it mandatory for Ministers’ names to be prefixed with the honorific even in communications arising from grievance redressal.

The circular, signed by an Under Secretary, has been forwarded to all government departments, district collectors, and heads of offices with instructions to ensure compliance.

Officials replying to complaints or applications received by Ministers must also strictly follow the rule, it said.

The move has triggered sharp criticism, with questions being raised over its constitutional validity.

Article 18 of the Constitution abolishes titles other than military or academic distinctions, a principle rooted in the vision of the framers that respect for leaders should stem from service and conduct, not from mandatory honorifics.

Critics argue that compelling citizens to prefix “Bahumanapetta” even while filing complaints reflects a regressive mindset and undermines the spirit of constitutional democracy.

Observers say that the directive comes at a time when judicial and legal systems across India are shedding colonial-era practices of excessive honorifics.

Senior bureaucrats note that Kerala government’s order appears to move in the opposite direction of reform.

“Instead of focusing on resolving complaints efficiently, the emphasis has been placed on safeguarding ministerial prestige,” a former official remarked.

Critics further warn that such directives risk alienating ordinary citizens by prioritising protocol over accountability.

The controversy has now sparked a wider debate on whether the government should be mandating respect through titles at a time when democratic institutions elsewhere are consciously moving towards simplification and equality in official interactions.

All eyes are on the upcoming Assembly session that begins next week on how the Congress-led Opposition is going to take up this issue, as all along they have attacked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his autocratic style of functioning.

–IANS

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