Kerala Minister Radhakrishnan Orders Removal of Colonial Place Names for SC/ST Areas Before Resigning

GG News Bureau
Thiruvananthapuram, 19th June. Kerala Minister K Radhakrishnan resigned from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Cabinet on Tuesday, following his election to the Lok Sabha. Prior to stepping down, Radhakrishnan made headlines by issuing a landmark order aimed at removing colonial-era names for places predominantly inhabited by Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities.

Radhakrishnan, who held the portfolios of Devaswom, Welfare of SC, ST and Backward Classes, and Parliamentary Affairs, formally handed over his resignation to Chief Minister Vijayan at the latter’s official residence. Subsequently, he also resigned as MLA, submitting his resignation to Speaker AN Shamseer.

Before his departure, Radhakrishnan, a prominent figure within the Left, issued an order instructing against the use of terms like “colony,” “sanketham,” and “ooru” to describe areas predominantly inhabited by SC and ST communities. Citing these terms as disrespectful relics of colonialism, Radhakrishnan mandated the adoption of more contemporary and respectful names such as “nagar,” “unnathi,” and “prakriti” for such localities. He further suggested that names reflecting regional significance could also be considered.

Explaining the rationale behind the order, Radhakrishnan emphasized, “The word colony is a symbol of colonial slavery. So, the usage should be abolished.” He noted that discussions had been ongoing on this issue for some time, culminating in this decision to discard colonial-era nomenclature.

After tendering his resignation, Radhakrishnan expressed satisfaction with his tenure, stating, “I am stepping down with great satisfaction.” A member of the CPI(M)’s central committee, he highlighted his efforts to serve the people to the best of his abilities during his ministerial tenure.

Radhakrishnan secured victory in the Alathur Parliamentary constituency by a margin of 20,111 votes in the recent Lok Sabha polls, making him the sole Left candidate from Kerala to triumph in the elections.