Last month, the TVK govt renamed Tamil Nadu’s adi dravidar and tribal welfare department as the social justice department, sparking mixed reactions from dalit activists, historians, legal experts and political leaders. Supporters say the new name is more inclusive of dalit and tribal communities. Critics, however, argue that dropping ‘adi dravidar’ erases a name that carries the history of the anti-caste movement.“Earlier, oppressed communities were called harijans or depressed classes. In the 1920s, dalit leaders chose the term ‘adi dravidar’ (meaning the first dravidar) to give the community a more positive identity. It recognised them as true natives of the Dravidian land,” says Punitha Pandiyan, former vice-chairperson of the state commission for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. “There is no evidence that adi dravidar refers to a sub-caste,”.While conversations revolve around the ‘appropriate’ term to address dalits and tribals, the word adi dravidar was coined after a struggle for identity. In 1882, the British conducted a census, says T Dharmaraj, professor of department of folkore and cultural studies at Madurai Kamaraj University, during which it was found that several dalits and tribal communities worshipped their own village and community deities, and so classifying them under one religion was difficult. “For anyone who wasn’t a Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Parsi or Hindu, they were classified as Hindus. Nineteenth century anti-caste activist Iyothee Thass objected to that,” says Dharmaraj.Thass, says Dharmaraj, argued that the appropriate word for the communities was ‘Thol Tamizhar’ (ancient Tamils). “But the British denied saying it was an ethnicity and not a religion. Then, he suggested ‘adi dravidar’. This led to the communities being identified as adi dravidars,” says the professor.“Renaming the department is therefore unnecessary as the existing title highlighted its history and administrative purpose,” says political and cultural historian Rajan Kurai Krishnan. Rajan says the department was separated from social welfare in 1988 because scheduled castes and scheduled tribes required focused attention. “The new name is vague and no longer indicates which communities the department was originally created to serve.”Advocate and dalit rights activist Richard Topaz believes the name change could create uncertainty regarding the department’s mandate as thousands of govt orders and applications, court judgments, educational records and welfare documents refer to the department by its existing name. “The old name tells beneficiaries that it serves dalits and those belonging to tribal communities. Under the new one, people may wonder whether it has become a department for all communities.”But not everyone opposes the move. Puthiya Tamilagam party president K Krishnaswamy, who has been advocating for a name change for four decades, says ‘adi dravidar’ excludes many scheduled caste communities.“The term originally referred to the paraiyar community, which sought a new identity during the British period after rejecting names such as panchamar and paraiyar. In 1922, the British govt officially recognised the name adi dravidar. But after Independence, reservation benefits were extended to more than 70 scheduled caste communities with different identities. You cannot use the name of one community for all,” says Krishnaswamy.Retired judge K Chandru says the focus should be on the department’s functioning rather than title. “The phrase ‘social justice’ is commonly used to describe affirmative action against caste injustice. What matters is not the form but the substance,” he says.An official in minister for social justice Vanni Arasu’s office says VCK continues to maintain that the department should retain the name adi dravidar welfare department, supporting the stand taken by VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan. “But the TVK govt’s rationale is to adopt a broader, future-oriented vision of social justice, similar to the Union govt’s Ministry of social justice and empowerment. The intention behind the new name is to represent social justice for everyone,” says the official on condition of anonymity.REDEFINING TERMSSince official records and petitions cannot refer to individuals by their caste names, adi dravidar became a common identity that protected people from being discriminated against solely by caste. If this identity disappears, people will again be identified by caste names—Punitha Pandiyan, former vice-chairperson of the state commission for scheduled castes and scheduled tribesThe term adi dravidar includes dalits within the larger Dravidian fold. Periyar also used the term widely. Today, because paraiyars continue to identify themselves as adi dravidars while other communities have adopted names such as ‘devendrakula velalar’ and ‘arunthathiyar’, many assume it refers to only one caste. That is incorrect—Rajan Kurai Krishnan, political and cultural historianIt’s not appropriate to use the name of one community for all. I have been demanding a name change for 40 years—K Krishnaswamy, Puthiya Tamilagam president100-year history1921: Labour, depressed classes and backward classes department: Created to address the systematic exclusion of oppressed communities from education, employment and public life, and to oversee their welfare1949: Harijan welfare department: Renamed after Gandhi popularised the term ‘harijan’ (meaning children of god) for communities then classified as untouchables. The term was later criticised by many dalit leaders as patronising and was gradually abandoned1960 Adi dravidar welfare department: The term ‘adi dravidar’, popularised by reformers such as Iyothee Thass and later used by Periyar, was intended to move away from derogatory caste labels1980 Adi dravidar and tribal welfare department: The name was expanded to explicitly include scheduled tribes, recognising that the department was responsible for the welfare of both scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. In 1988, it was separated from the social welfare department to provide focused attention to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Today, the department implements scholarships, hostels, free educational support, economic development schemes, land distribution, skill development programmes and measures to eradicate untouchability while enforcing constitutional safeguards under Articles 15(4), 16(4), 17 and 46 of the Constitution2026 Social justice department | Renamed by TVK govt, which considers it more inclusive and reflecting equality and constitutional values
