Demand grows to carve out Thalassery as Kerala's new district

The demand to establish a new district headquartered in Thalassery has gained significant momentum. The proposed administrative division aims to combine areas from Thalassery, Iritty, and Vadakara taluks, incorporating the assembly constituencies of Thalassery, Koothuparamba, Mattannur, Peravoor, Vadakara, Nadapuram, and Kuttiadi, along with parts of Dharmadom.

The demand, spearheaded for years by the IMA and the Thalassery Development Forum, recently received a major boost with the United Democratic Front (UDF) constituency committee officially lending its support. Discussions surrounding the potential creation of a Muvattupuzha district, highlighted in recent political discourse, have further renewed hopes that Thalassery’s long-standing demand will finally be realised.

A delegation, including IMA state committee member Dr CK Rajeev Nambiar and local UDF leaders, recently submitted a memorandum to electricity minister and Peravoor MLA Sunny Joseph, receiving assurances of high-level discussions with the state leadership. Various local organisations are now preparing a comprehensive proposal to present directly to the government.

For over 250 years, Thalassery served as the administrative nerve centre of the British Raj in Malabar, which then encompassed present-day Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, and parts of Kodagu. During the linguistic reorganisation of states and the subsequent formation of Kerala, Thalassery was initially considered alongside Kozhikode as a potential district headquarters. It also holds the distinction of being one of the state's earliest municipalities, established on November 1, 1866 alongside Kozhikode and Palakkad.

Culturally, the town boasts many of India's historical firsts. It is widely recognised as the birthplace of the Indian circus, the place where ordinary Indians first played cricket, and the cradle of Kerala's baking industry, where the state's very first Christmas cake was baked.

Beyond its heritage, proponents argue that Thalassery already possesses the structural foundation required for a district headquarters. It houses a historic Sub Collector's Office, the country's oldest judicial court complex, a General Hospital, and the Malabar Cancer Centre. The town is also equipped with a dedicated Women and Children Hospital, co-operative healthcare facilities, the District Registrar's Office, and pioneering educational institutions like Government Brennen College, BEMP High School (founded in 1857), and Sacred Heart Girls' School (established in 1887). With engineering and law colleges, university centres, the Nettur Technical Training Foundation (NTTF), excellent road and rail connectivity, and close proximity to the Kannur International Airport, Thalassery is fully primed to transition into a district headquarters.