Top News

In Kerala’s Kollam district, Kunnathoor grama panchayat has taken a unanimous decision to rename a junction that had long carried a name associated with Pakistan. The junction, formerly known as ‘Pakistan Mukku’ and located in Nilackal ward, will now be called ‘Iverkala,’ a name rooted in local history and tradition, based on a resolution.

The renaming was approved during a panchayat meeting held on Wednesday, with all members agreeing on the change. The junction has held the controversial name for several decades, though no definitive historical record exists explaining how it came to be called ‘Pakistan Mukku’, reported Manorama. 

However, a similarly named junction located in the Kallara grama panchayat of Thiruvananthapuram district will continue to retain its original title. Members of both communities recall strikingly similar stories behind the names, though no official documentation supports these narratives.

Name Change After 'Pahalgam' Attack 

In the case of Kunnathoor, the name change is being attributed to heightened public emotions following a recent terror attack in Pahalgam. According to Binesh Kadambanad, the panchayat’s vice president, many locals expressed discomfort with the existing name in light of recent events, prompting the leadership to respond accordingly, reported The New Indian Express.

It is noted that a previous attempt had been made to rename the junction to ‘Priyadarshini’ but that initiative failed to gain approval at the time. Currently, despite the ruling CPI-M’s general opposition to renaming places with such associations elsewhere in the state, the local body moved forward with the decision.

The panchayat’s resolution will now be submitted to the Kerala state government, which will make the final call on officially implementing the new name.

Over 26 people, including two foreigners and two locals, lost their lives in a terrorist attack that occurred on April 22, 2025, in Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir.