World
India
In a major step towards dismantling caste-based discrimination, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced that the word ‘colony’-commonly used to refer to Dalit settlements will be removed from official records and general usage across the state. Speaking in the Assembly on Tuesday, Stalin described the term as a “symbol of oppression” and a “code for untouchability” that continues to stigmatize marginalised communities.
“The word ‘colony’ has become a synonym for insult and oppression of the ancient people of this soil. As it now carries the connotation of untouchability and historical injustice, the government will take steps to remove it from all government documents and everyday usage,” the Chief Minister declared.
This move mirrors a similar decision made by the Kerala government in June 2024, when former minister K Radhakrishnan issued an order to eliminate the term from all official references to SC/ST settlements. Radhakrishnan had emphasised that the word originated from a colonial and casteist mindset, equating it with “slavery” and systemic oppression.
The Tamil Nadu government’s move is being widely seen as a progressive step toward promoting social dignity and inclusivity for Dalit communities.
‘DMK 2.0 Loading in 2026’?
In the same Assembly session, MK Stalin also expressed confidence about the DMK returning to power in the 2026 Assembly elections, declaring that “Version 2.0” of his government is in the making. Highlighting key achievements over the past four years, he cited Tamil Nadu’s remarkable 9.69% economic growth rate for 2024–25 validated by central statistics as evidence of the state’s robust progress under DMK rule.
The Chief Minister also spotlighted his government’s initiatives like the “no dropout” policy in middle schools, poverty eradication programs, and improvements in higher education. On public safety, Stalin asserted that law and order had been well maintained, “although some yearn for it to appear otherwise.”
The announcement to remove the term ‘colony’ is being lauded by social justice activists and scholars as a long-overdue move to deconstruct the casteist language embedded in governance.
ALSO READ: Waqf Law Row: AIMIM’s Owaisi Backs ‘Switch Off Light’ Campaign To Protest ‘Black Law’
