P. Krishnaveni, an 81-year old retired school teacher, remembers how her village in Theni district in Tamil Nadu was stratified 70 years ago. Each caste had its own street. Scheduled Castes (SCs) lived away from the village and each street in an SC neighbourhood was named after a particular SC sub-caste, she says.

Similarly, Sarojini Devi, a home-maker in her late sixties, who is from another village in the same district, recalls the 13 SC families who lived farther away from the main village. She says SC dwellings came to be referred to as ‘colonies’ after the law made it illegal to refer to their place of dwelling with caste names.

Now, caste Hindus may have to stop using that term. On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced in the Legislative Assembly that steps will be taken to remove the caste-coded word, in Tamil Nadu’s context, from official government documents and public use. The word ‘colony’, which has become a slur to denote the neighbourhoods inhabited by SCs, is still used in most villages across the State. While other castes live on the main streets of the villages, SCs live in ‘colonies’, away from them.

While the intention may be laudable, Dalit activists say the government has been unable to effectively implement its policy of removing caste signifiers. “Earlier, ‘colony’ was associated with colonial rule and was used in a derogatory sense to describe the exploitation of backward or weaker peoples by a dominant power,” says Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi general secretary and Villupuram MP, D. Ravikumar. “After Independence, the word came to be used to identify the habitations of Dalits, indirectly marking these settlements as those of an enslaved people.” Mr. Ravikumar says while his party welcomes Mr. Stalin’s announcement, it is important to see what the Government Order says.

Writer and historian Stalin Rajangam says the word ‘colony’ has different meanings in urban and rural areas. “In cities, colonies are a part of modernity. There is, for instance, an Electricity Board colony. In the rural context, colonies are exclusively used to refer to Dalit neighbourhoods. There is confusion over whether the word itself is problematic. I see this move as a continuation of Dravidian identity politics — because it takes the easy way out without making any serious effort to change the separation of ‘Ooru and ‘Cheri’ (non-Dalit and Dalit neighbhourhoods),” he says. Mr. Rajangam also wonders whether the names of neighbourhoods named after dominant and privileged castes — for instance, Naidupuram — will ever be renamed. “I don’t oppose this announcement, but I don’t think this is a significant step towards annihilating caste,” he says.

Mr. Ravikumar recalls that in 1978, the AIADMK government, headed by its founder and then Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran, had initiated efforts to drop the caste names of leaders and prominent personalities from the boards of streets named after them on account of Periyar’s birth centenary celebrations. However, the policy has never been implemented effectively.

In August 2021, Mr. Ravikumar wrote a letter to Mr. Stalin urging him to reinforce the Government Order published in 1978. “Apart from the name boards set up by the Tamil Nadu government, the name boards being set up by private individuals for new neighbourhoods shouldn’t have caste names. Similarly, caste names should be removed from the names of educational institutions and restaurants,” he wrote in the letter. He adds that when caste names are not removed from street names and become part of official documents such as Aadhaar and passports, they help people easily ascertain the caste identities of people.

In the Dravidian era, SCs have achieved economic growth and have made significant strides in education, but continue to face violence and discrimination from caste Hindus. Tamil Nadu recorded a rise in crimes against SCs and Scheduled Tribes between 2000 and 2022. In this context, the move to remove the word ‘colony’ can be seen in positive light only if the government addresses other urgent demands, such as the enactment of a law to protect inter-caste couples from violence. In addition to cosmetic attempts, it is crucial that the government makes comprehensive efforts to address the myriad issues of SCs today.,

udhav.naig@thehindu.co.in; aravind.b@thehindu.co.in

A woman at the Attari-Wagah border checkpost near Amritsar on April 29, 2025 gets emotional while leaving for Pakistan as her son with Indian nationality was stopped by the authorities to go with her.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Amid countrywide crackdown to physically remove Pakistan citizens whose visas expired on April 29, 2025, the Union Home Ministry (MHA) expanded the list of categories exempted from deportation.

The MHA issued guidelines that Pakistani Hindus who have “applied for long term visas” (LTVs) and whose applications are “under process” will be exempted from the deportation process.

Exemption has also been granted to Hindu migrants who were eligible but had not yet applied for LTV, on the condition that they apply immediately.

The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, where the concentration of Pakistani Hindus is the highest, conveyed to Seemant Lok Sangathan, a group that advocates for the rights of Pakistani minority migrants in India, that Muslim women who are married to Indian citizens and have applied for LTVs are “not required to leave the country”.

The FRRO in Jodhpur conducted a special drive from April 26 to 28 to register Pakistani Hindu migrants, and LTVs were granted to 362 persons.

Earlier government officials had clarified that those who possessed LTVs will be exempt from the visa-revocation order and will not have to leave the country.

On April 28-29, as many as 249 Pakistanis left India via the Attari integrated land port in Punjab while 527 Indians entered the country.

As many as 537 Pakistani citizens left India between April 24 and 27, when the first deadline came to an end. 

‘Pakistani Hindus’ LTV applications pending’

Seemant Lok Sangathan president Hindu Singh Sodha said that there are 10,000 Pakistani Hindus whose LTV applications are pending with the MHA for more than two years.

The LTV, granted for 1-5 years, is considered a precursor to citizenship.

Mr. Sodha said that in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, after the government announced that it was revoking visas to Pakistanis and that they had 48 hours to leave the country, there was panic as the move would affect thousands.

“We wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and took up the matter with the State government. The FRRO informed us through a press note that other than LTV holders, those who have applied for the LTVs will also be exempted. It is a big relief. These people came to India seeking shelter from religious persecution. They applied for LTV following due process. You did not clear their files and now want to punish them by sending them back?” Mr. Sodha said.

He added that several Pakistani Hindu refugees received calls from the police asking them to leave the country.

The FRRO also cautioned the migrants from falling into the hands of touts and asked them to contact them directly in their office. It said that people whose Pakistani passports had expired and were yet to apply for citizenship should present their documents to the FRRO immediately so that necessary directions can be obtained from the ministry.

Short-term visas to long-term visas for Hindus

A senior police official in Rajasthan said some Hindu migrants who came here on short-term visas wanted to stay back and were being given LTVs.

“As a procedure, calls were made to all Pakistani visa holders. Some minority community members from Pakistan wanted to stay back on the grounds of persecution, so we asked them to apply for LTV,” the official said. 

A Delhi Police official said that they have been given a list of Pakistani citizens who have not left the country despite the visas being revoked.

“The procedure is that they will be taken to the FRRO office in Delhi, which will examine their documents and if found flouting the visa conditions, they will be sent to the detention centre in Lampur from where they will be deported to their country of origin,” said the official.

In Maharashtra, a government official said that exit permits were being handed over to people and it was being ensured that they leave the country.

Vijayawada: Minister for water resources Nimmala Ramanaidu has called for the completion of Handrineeva and Polavaram Left Main Canal works by June, in line with the deadline set by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

The minister held a review meeting on Tuesday with the chief engineers and superintending engineers of the Handrineeva, Polavaram and Veligonda projects, in the presence of engineer-in-chief M. Venkateswara Rao.

Expressing concern over delays in the execution of Handrineeva and Polavaram LMC works, which he had inspected personally, the minister directed officials and executing agencies to expedite completion of the first phase of the Handrineeva project’s main canal.

Regarding Polavaram LMC, the minister noted that the works were progressing at a sluggish pace. He directed the contract agencies to deploy all necessary equipment such as dumpers, excavators, rollers, and other machinery immediately. He warned that action would be taken against officials concerned if deadlines were not met.

He further informed that an expert committee would visit the Polavaram project between May 4 and 8, and instructed officials to obtain the necessary designs for the ECRF dam, including gap-1 and gap-2 sections. He also emphasised the need to secure requisite permissions to commence the works.

With regard to the diaphragm wall, the minister said that 217 metres had been completed so far. He called for the buttress dam works to be completed by the end of May to ensure the stability of the upper coffer dam before the onset of the rainy season.

On the Veligonda project, the minister expressed displeasure with the officials and contractors over the prolonged delays. He instructed that tenders be called within 10 days for the feeder canal and retaining wall lining works, and insisted that the project be completed by June 2026.