Word Colony to be removed from government documents: Stalin

Chennai: Colony, the word commonly used to refer to settlements inhabited by Dalits, will be removed from official documents and general usage, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin announced on Tuesday. Speaking on the last day of the Budget session, Stalin said the word colony has become a “symbol of oppression” and a “code for untouchability” that continues to stigmatize the Scheduled Castes (SC). 

“The word ‘colony’ has become a synonym to insult the original inhabitants of this land, the Scheduled Caste. Since this word has turned into a symbol of oppression, we will strive to remove this word from government documents and general usage,” Stalin said. Colony is commonly used to refer to a street or an area where people from Dalit community live, and is easy for people to find out the caste of the residents of the area. 

The announcement by Stalin comes at a time when the DMK government is under attack from various quarters for the increase in atrocities against Dalits in Tamil Nadu. In his speech, Stalin also exuded confidence that the DMK will return to power in 2026 assembly polls and that version 2.0 of the Dravidian model of governance is loading. 

 "If criminal activities occur, immediate action is taken and the accused are arrested. We are even ready to rectify our mistakes if there are any. I am saying this to people who complain about law and order with malicious intentions. This is not Manipur, or Kashmir. There are no deaths like the Kumbh Mela in UP. This is Tamil Nadu, please don't forget that,” he said.