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The newly elected chairperson of the Chittur-Thathamangalam Municipality in Palakkad, Sumesh Achuthan of the Indian National Congress (INC), has decided to remove the title ‘honorary’ from the names of municipal officials. According to Sumesh, public servants should not enjoy privileges that are unavailable to the common people of the country.
An official announcement regarding the decision will be made after the next municipal council meeting, scheduled to be held in a week.
Speaking to TNM, Sumesh said the move is intended as a first step towards helping people better understand their rights as citizens. “Many people wrongly believe that they must show deference to local authorities in order to access government benefits that are rightfully theirs. This misconception needs to be addressed. I see this decision as a starting point for that change. The municipality and I do not require any privileges that ordinary citizens do not have,” he said.
The term ‘honourable’ (Bahumanapetta in Malayalam) is commonly used as a prefix for elected representatives and officials such as Members of Parliament, judges, ministers, municipal chairpersons, and secretaries to denote respect or high status.
Sumesh said the continued use of the prefix reflects colonial-era practices. “No developed country follows this convention. Our systems of governance often fail to fully recognise that, in a democracy, the people are the supreme authority,” he said. He added that the Chittur–Thathamangalam Municipality is committed to ensuring equality, human dignity, and civil rights for all citizens, as guaranteed by the Constitution.
In the 2025 local body elections, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won 19 of the 30 wards in the municipality. Sumesh said the decision has the support of all 19 UDF councillors. He expressed hope that the move would inspire other local bodies, and eventually the state government, to adopt similar practices.
Sumesh is the son of former Chittur MLA and municipal chairperson K Achuthan. In the 2025 local body elections, he contested from the Paruthikkavu ward and won by a margin of 185 votes.