Madras High Court seeks Tamil Nadu report on caste names in public places

The Madras High Court has opened a suo motu public interest litigation case to enforce earlier directions on removing caste appellations from the names of streets, roads and localities across Tamil Nadu. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan directed the State government to submit a status report within four weeks.

The report must list references removed so far and those that remain. The case follows an order by Justice N. Ramesh on August 11, after he encountered a First Information Report referring to a place in Namakkal district as “Pallar Street”.

The judge questioned why such names continued to exist despite government and judicial directions issued over several decades. Justice Ramesh referred to a 1978 Government Order requiring local bodies to identify caste references in street and road names and remove them. The High Court has issued further directions since 2018.

The judge said caste-based names could have serious consequences because residents may be identified by caste and the names could appear on official documents, including ration cards, Aadhaar cards and driving licences. He linked the issue to the constitutional objective of creating a casteless society. He also referred to a recent High Court direction concerning the removal of caste appellations from the names of schools and colleges across Tamil Nadu.

Justice Ramesh further cited the State government’s decision to rename the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department as the Social Justice Department to avoid a caste reference. He said that effort would remain incomplete unless caste appellations were removed from streets and roads as well. The judge came across the disputed reference while hearing a bail petition and directed the High Court Registry to register a suo motu case.

The latest Bench’s order requires the State to account for progress and identify outstanding cases.