A simmering controversy over the renaming of a century-old school has triggered protests in Velur panchayat in Thrissur district, with residents, alumni and community leaders demanding that “St. Thomas” be restored in the institution’s name.

The agitation centres on the former St. Thomas U.P. School at Puliyannur, an institution that had carried the name for more than a century before it was changed to Government U.P. 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 an erasure of a deeply rooted identity that has shaped the educational and social history of the village.

“The name St. Thomas is not just a label. It represents the legacy, sacrifice and vision of the people who founded this school 103 years ago,” said John Kalliyath, a local resident and activist of the Samara Samiti spearheading the protest.

The 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 rigid caste hierarchies dominated society and many backward communities were denied access to education, the founders built a small cross chapel and started the school alongside it.

“Education was a distant dream for many then. The pioneers believed that literacy alone could liberate a society. That vision drove them to establish the school,” Mr. Kalliyath said.

Community members recall that the institution survived its early decades through sheer collective effort. There was no government grant in those days and teachers’ salaries were often paid through small contributions collected from the villagers.

“This school stood as a symbol of communal harmony. Students from different castes and religions studied here together. For generations of people, 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 historic names.

They cite examples such as Velur R.S.R.V Higher Secondary School, Kuttur Chandra Memorial Government Higher Secondary School and the recently taken over Kiralur Parashuram Government U.P. School.

“When other schools have been allowed to retain their legacy names, why was ‘St. Thomas’ removed from the school’s name here?” Mr. Kalliyath asked.

The demand 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. Velur panchayat, with the support of both the ruling and opposition fronts, has passed resolutions supporting the restoration of the name.Despite these efforts, the protesters said there has been no response from the authorities so far.

Hunger strike

Adding momentum to the agitation, former dean and head of the Department of Architecture at Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, P.V. Ouseph, an alumnus of the school, recently staged a one-man hunger strike in front of the school gate.

He alleged that the removal of the name was the result of “strategic political manoeuvres.”

Meanwhile, the Samara Samiti has announced a series of protest programmes. As part of the agitation, parish members from various churches under the Velur forane will assemble at Eranellur church at 4 p.m. on Sunday and march in protest to Kechery centre where a public meeting will be held.

“People across communities who studied in this school feel emotionally connected to the name. We will continue our agitation until the historic identity of the institution is restored,” said P.I. Lasar, another activist of the Samara Samiti.