The renaming of Coimbatore to Koyampuththoor by the State government has drawn mixed reactions.
While local historians feel that Koyampuththoor could be a right literal translation of the Tamil name of the place, various citizen forums, non-governmental organisations, and a major chunk of the public felt that Kovai could have been a better choice or renaming was not necessary.
The rewording of the place name in English also triggered discussions in social media and a signature campaign.
“The early usage was Kovan Pudur for which there are epigraphical records from 12th century. Kovan is said to be a chieftain and Pudur means new place. Kuniyan Pudur is a similar usage for Kuniyamuthur,” says local historian C.R. Elangovan, who welcomed the change to Koyampuththoor calling it as an apt transliteration of the Tamil name.
“There is nothing wrong in the change in my opinion. Why should we follow a spelling that was fixed by the British ?” asks historian Perur K. Jayaraman.
Coimbatore chronicler Rajesh Govindarajulu was neutral about the change.
“Such changes happen all over the country. Kovan Pudur, Kovan Pathy and Koniamman Pudur are cited as earlier usages. Some people, who could not pronounce the anglicised usage Coimbatore, even spelt it as Koyamuthur. There were milestones which had the name as Koyamputhoor in the past,” he says.
“As a tier II city, the place is known all over the country and globally as Coimbatore. Hence, efforts must be made so that people from other parts do not get confused due to the spelling,” he adds.
R. Raveendran of the Residents Awareness Association of Coimbatore, says that the government should have consulted the people of Coimbatore before making the change.
“Kovai would have been a simple and better choice if the change was needed. Several NGOs, trade bodies and organisations are unhappy with the change. Efforts are on to represent the same to authorities,” says Mr. Raveendran.
Mathavan, a resident of Singanallur and an employee of an industrial unit, says that no change was required.
At the time of filing this report, over 4,000 people signed in an online signature campaign ‘Kovai not Koyampuththoor’ launched by Arun Lakshminarayan in change.org and addressed to Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Minister for Municipal Administration S. P. Velumani and Minister for Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture K. Pandiarajan.
The petition said that the new name was very long and the spelling was difficult to remember whereas Kovai is the short Tamil Name that is easy to say and remember.
The name suggested by the district administration for the change was Koyamputhur. Narasimma Nayakkan Paalayam for Narasimhanaicken Palayam, Chinna Thadaagam for Chinna Thadagam, Periyanayakkan Paalayam for Perianaicken Palayam, Thelungupaalayam for Telugupalayam and Nayakkanpaalayam for Naicken Palayam were among other places from the district spelling of which have been changed.
