MP Ravikumar Demands Removal of Offensive Caste Terminology from India’s Census Data
VCK General Secretary D. Ravikumar urged the Union government to purge derogatory caste labels from official documents and Census records. He argues that using these terms contradicts existing legal protections under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.
Key takeaways
- MP D. Ravikumar urged the Registrar General to stop using derogatory caste names in Census and official documents.
- The MP noted that using such terms to humiliate Scheduled Castes is a punishable offense under the 1989 Prevention of Atrocities Act.
- A 1922 Madras Presidency order previously mandated replacing offensive terms with the neutral 'Adi Dravidar' designation.
- Ravikumar argues that the government’s continued use of these terms in official records is a contradiction of current law.
Legislative Push Against Stigmatizing Nomenclature
During a session on July 31, 2026, Villupuram MP and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) general secretary D. Ravikumar utilized Rule 377 to challenge the federal government's continued use of pejorative caste names. He formally petitioned the Union government to issue directives to the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, demanding an immediate halt to the inclusion of derogatory terms in the Census and official caste certificates issued to Scheduled Castes in Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Ravikumar emphasized that these labels serve to dehumanize and stigmatize the affected communities. He pointed out a glaring legal contradiction: while the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 criminalizes the use of such language to insult or humiliate, the government simultaneously validates these terms by maintaining them in administrative records.
Historical Precedent and Modern Legal Conflicts
The campaign to eliminate these labels is not a modern phenomenon but dates back to the late 19th century. Mr. Ravikumar highlighted a significant historical milestone from the Madras Presidency era to support his argument:
- On March 25, 1922, the Justice Party Government issued G.O. No. 817 under the Law (General) Department.
- This order mandated that terms like 'Paraiyan' and 'Panchaman' be removed from official records in Tamil districts.
- These labels were replaced with the neutral designation 'Adi Dravidar' over a century ago.
The MP argued that the persistence of these terms in the 21st century undermines decades of social progress. He stated that the current practice fails to respect the long-standing demands of Scheduled Caste communities who have consistently fought against offensive state-sanctioned nomenclature.
Source: The Hindu — National
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