Published Apr 05, 2026 | 11:14 AM ⚊ Updated Apr 05, 2026 | 12:43 PM
Billboards reading boycott of 2026 Tamil Nadu elections have been plastered in Paraicheri village. (Supplied)
Synopsis: Over 60 Dalit families in North Achamthavilthan, Virudhunagar, face daily humiliation as their locality is officially recorded as “Paraiyar Cheri.” Despite petitions for 15 years, the caste-marked name persists in voter lists, Aadhaar, and bank records. Frustrated by inaction, residents have resolved to boycott the 2026 Assembly elections, demanding dignity through a permanent name change.
“Hey Suryakala, come here” — this is how Kannan (name changed), a 30-year-old man, calls out to Suryakala, who is over 60 years old, without even a trace of respect. Ironically, Kannan studied in school with Suryakala’s daughter.
Not just Suryakala — over 60 families from North Achamthavilthan village in Srivilliputhur taluk of Virudhunagar district have been facing such disrespect and humiliation for years, solely because they belong to the Dalit community.
What is more troubling is that not only the general public, but even government records refer to their locality as “Paraicheri,” explicitly marking their caste identity.
The residents say that wherever they go, this name subjects them to humiliation and caste-based discrimination. For over 15 years, they have submitted petitions—from local Tahsildar to the Chief Minister—requesting a change in the village name.
But as no action has been taken so far and the indignity continues, the residents of North Achamthavilthanhave now announced that they will boycott the 2026 Assembly elections.
North Achamthavilthan is located in Achamthavilthan revenue village under Achamthavilthan panchayat in Srivilliputhur taluk of Virudhunagar district. While multiple intermediate communities live across the broader village, over 60 families belonging to the Dalit Paraiyar community reside in the northern part.
Because of this, the area has come to be referred to as “Paraicheri” — not just by neighboring villagers but also in official records. This name appears in documents such as voter lists, bank records, Aadhaar, and PAN cards. However, in land patta records, the village is still officially recorded as Achamthavilthan. Thus, while some government documents mention Achamthavilthan, others continue to use “Paraicheri.”
A Abi, a native of this village who is currently pursuing a PhD in Chennai, shared how this caste-based naming has affected her since childhood.
“I did all my schooling in and around my village. We had to go to a neighboring village for school, where students from other communities also studied. They would mock us by calling out our village name, and even write it on classroom desks to ridicule us,” she said.
She added that upon hearing the name of their village, some students from certain intermediate castes would even avoid speaking to them.
“Not just students, even today, elders from those communities expect us to address even their children with respect, using ‘vaanga, poonga.’ But they, from children to adults, never extend the same respect to us,” she said.
Even though Suryakala is over 60, she, and others from her community, are still addressed disrespectfully by people from intermediate castes in the same village, often being called by name without basic courtesy.
Abi noted that while the intensity of such behaviour may have reduced over the past decade, it still continues.
Because of the village name, residents say they are forced into a position of humiliation even at workplaces. SV Kumar, a resident, has been leading the fight to change the name for over 15 years.
“When children go to school, they hesitate to even say the name of our village. Even when we go to work, if someone asks where we are from, we say Achamthavilthan. But those who know will immediately correct it and say ‘No, they are from Paraicheri.’ At that moment, we feel deeply humiliated. We lose the sense of being free individuals and are pushed into a mindset of inferiority, as if we are slaves to others,” he said.
Despite years of suffering, residents continue to fight for change. While in manual processes at local offices they manage to get the name recorded as North Achamthavilthan, digital government services like Aadhaar and tax records still reflect “Paraicheri.”
“In some cases, during Aadhaar enrolment or updates, we insist and get the name corrected. But many people who cannot argue are left at the mercy of e-service operators, who continue to enter ‘Paraicheri,’” Kumar said.
He added that even when opening bank accounts, despite submitting the name as North Achamthavilthan, officials, often local and from other communities, override it and record “Paraicheri.”
Even the Election Commission’s voter list continues to carry the caste-based name. This is despite residents submitting forms with the correct name during the recent Special Intensive Revision.
“We have submitted petitions to everyone, from the Tahsildar to the Chief Minister. There is no one we haven’t approached. Yet nothing has changed,” Kumar said.
Over the past decade, resolutions demanding the name change have been repeatedly passed in the gram sabha. Petitions have been sent at every level. Seeking accountability, Kumar even filed RTI queries with the district collector’s office.
According to the RTI response, in March 2023, the Srivilliputhur revenue divisional officer recommended changing the name from “Paraicheri” to North Achamthavilthan and forwarded it to the Virudhunagar district collector. In July 2025, the collector forwarded the recommendation to the Commissionerate of Revenue Administration and Disaster Management in Chennai.
However, Kumar says the RTI reply revealed that the request is currently pending at that department.
“Our village has central government employees, award-winning teachers, and highly educated graduates. Yet, wherever we go, we are humiliated because of our village name,” said Abi.
“No matter how far we progress, the moment we say our village name, people’s perception of us changes. We feel like we are not free individuals. Changing the name will give us the dignity of being equal citizens of this country. It will free the next generation from the humiliation we have endured for years,” Kumar said.
“When people hear our village name, some look at us with ridicule, others with pity. We want neither. We just want to be seen as self-respecting human beings. For that, our village name must change,” he added.
With no results despite years of effort, residents have now decided to boycott the 2026 Assembly elections.
There are a total of 113 voters in North Achamthavilthan village, 60 men and 53 women. Following the boycott announcement, election officials met the residents on 4 April.
Officials reportedly told them that since the election has already been announced, immediate action is not possible, and urged them to participate in the elections, assuring that action would be taken afterward.
However, residents remain unconvinced.
“For all these years, nothing was done. Even now, administrative changes continue despite the election announcement. If that is possible, what stops you from changing our village name? Until we get a permanent solution, we will not participate in the elections,” Abi said.
Kumar summed it up with quiet intensity: “If the two of us go somewhere and someone asks our village name, you can say it without hesitation. But I cannot. That is the pain we have been living with for years. And that is why we are fighting now.”
Even though the Tamil Nadu government issued guidelines in October 2025 to remove caste-based names from streets, villages, and public assets to promote social equality, despite repeated demands for a name change from the residents of North Achamthavilthan, government officials have failed to act on it.
According to the guidelines, the process has been designed to include public consultation and administrative checks. Local bodies were instructed to identify such names, hold Gram Sabha or Area Sabha meetings, and propose neutral alternatives.
The guidelines specifically call for the removal of names that directly reflect caste identities or indicate segregation. These include terms such as “Adi Dravidar Colony,” “Harijan Colony,” “Paraiyar Street,” “Chakkiliyar Street,” “Pallar Street,” and similar caste-based identifiers. The use of the word “colony” is also discouraged, as it is often associated with historically segregated settlements.
The process involves publishing proposed changes in the District Gazette, inviting objections, and securing approvals from local councils and the State government.
The guidelines recommend replacing such names with culturally neutral alternatives, including names of Tamil literary figures, social reformers, or elements of nature.
Once approved, the new names will be updated across official records, with an emphasis on community participation throughout the process.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
