TRICHY: In a city long celebrated for its secular values and social diversity, nearly 30 major streets still bear caste and communal names, prompting activists and locals to push for urgent renaming to avoid social stereotyping and discrimination.
Despite Trichy’s pluralistic electoral history—electing representatives from various communities and even non-natives—the legacy of caste-based street names remains. Streets such as Kalla Street, Kura Street, Arunthathiyar Nagar, Vellala Street, Muslim Street, Palla Street, and Saurashtra Street still exist across the city’s 65 wards.
“This naming practice dates back to when residential dominance of a particular caste dictated local identity, but those times are behind us,” said Ward 23 Councillor K Suresh, urging the renaming of such streets after national and state icons.
Youths and job seekers from these areas say addresses linked to caste or demeaning terms like “liquor” or “cremation ground”—such as Keela Saarayapattarai Street in Woraiyur or Sudukadu Road in Srirangam—cause embarrassment and unease.
Recently, the Trichy Corporation renamed four caste-neutral streets to honour figures like Major Saravanan and Sheik Chinna Moulana, yet caste-tagged streets remain unchanged.
Mayor Mu Anbalagan said a list of such street names would be submitted to the municipal administration department, and renaming will be done through a council resolution with official approval.