St. Thomas UP School in Puliyannur which was recently renamed as Government UP School, Puliyannur. | Photo credit: KK NAJEEB
A simmering dispute over the renaming of the century-old school sparked protests in Thrissur district’s Velur panchayat, with residents, alumni and community leaders demanding that “St. Thomas” be reinstated in the institution’s name.
The agitation is centered on the former school of St. Thomas UP School in Puliyannur, an institution that bore the name for more than a hundred years before it changed to Government UP School, Puliyannur after the school management handed it over to the government a few years ago.
For many in the locality, the change is not merely administrative, but also an erasure of a deep-rooted identity that shaped the village’s educational and social history.
“The name St. Thomas is not just a label. It represents the legacy, the sacrifice and the vision of the people who founded this school 103 years ago,” said John Kalliyath, a local resident and Samara Samiti activist who is spearheading the protest.
Origin
According to members of the Samara Samiti, the school was established more than a century ago by a small group of Christian families from Puliyannur and Kuruvannur. At a time when society was dominated by rigid caste hierarchies and many backward communities were denied access to education, the founders built a small cruciform chapel and established a school next to it.
“Education was a distant dream for many then. The pioneers believed that literacy alone could liberate society. This vision prompted them to start the school,” said Mr. Kalliyath.
Community members recall that the institution survived its early decades only through collective effort. At the time, there was no government subsidy and teachers’ salaries were often paid from small contributions collected from villagers.
“This school was a symbol of community harmony. Students from different castes and religions studied here together. For generations, the name St. Thomas has been inseparable from the school,” he said. Residents pointed out that when the government took over several aided schools in the state, many of them retained their historical names.
They cite examples like Velur RSRV Higher Secondary School, Kuttur Chandra Memorial Government Higher Secondary School and the recently taken over UP Kiralur Parashuram Government School.
“When the other schools were allowed to keep their original names, why was ‘St. Thomas’ removed from the school name?” asked Mr Kalliyath.
A request to restore the original name has already been submitted to the state government through the local MLA and representations have been sent to the education minister and other authorities. The Velur panchayat, with the support of both the ruling and opposition fronts, passed resolutions supporting the restoration of the name. Despite these efforts, protesters said there has been no response from the authorities so far.
Hunger strike
Adding strength to the agitation, former Dean and Head of the Department of Architecture at Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, PV Ouseph, an alumnus of the school, recently started a one-man hunger strike outside the school gate.
He claimed that the removal of the name was the result of “strategic political maneuvering”.
Meanwhile, the Samara Samiti announced a series of protest programmes. As part of the agitation, parishioners from various churches under Velur forane will gather at Eranellur Church on Sunday at 4 pm and march in protest to Kechery center where a public meeting will be held.
“People across communities who have studied in this school feel emotionally attached to the name. We will continue our agitation till the historical identity of the institution is restored,” said PI Lasar, another Samara Samiti activist.
Published – 06 Mar 2026 20:53 IST
