Offensive street name lives on, continues to lower morale of locality

The infamous Kolaikaranpettai in Royapettah according to the resolution passed by the then Mayor ‘Saidai’ Duraisamy was supposed to be called Jayalalithaa Nagar.
Residents have been trying to get Kolaikaranpettai renamed | D SAMPATHKUMAR
Residents have been trying to get Kolaikaranpettai renamed | D SAMPATHKUMAR

CHENNAI: The ‘Kolaikaran’ (murderer) makes no attempt to hide, standing at an unmissable corner of the street, jeering at the residents who have been fighting for several years to get rid of him, never once successful.

The infamous Kolaikaranpettai in Royapettah, according to the resolution passed by the then Mayor ‘Saidai’ Duraisamy in a Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) council meeting in 2013, was supposed to be called Jayalalithaa Nagar. However, residents claim that only two days ago, GCC staff arrived with a new reflective sign board, that bore the same name that they have been fighting against.

“We had protested and asked them to take it back, which they did in the end,” said V Ramu, a resident for 42 years.

There are two lanes under the name — Kolaikaranpettai street 1 and 2 — that that house more than 300 residents.

Although there have been several versions of how the street got its unpleasant name, some residents believe that it was the handiwork of a certain monkey trainer in the area, now long gone, who decided to change the Kolkaran street to Kolaikaran street, in jest. However, for years after his little prank, the name has lingered.

According to 85-year-old resident Parvathiammal, the street has gone from Kulasekaran street when she was young to Kolkaran street before it changed to Kolaikaranpettai.

“This used to be a hub for kolattam (dance form), even (former chief minister) MG Ramachandran used to learn the art form here. In fact, that was how it came to be called Kolkaranpettai,” she said.

Except for some like Parvathiammal, not many care how the street got its name anymore. Years have passed and residents are yet to get used to the name.

“We just want it to be changed. We’re tired of fighting for so long. Ask our kids, all of their friends make fun of them at school,” said Saravanan (name changed).

He added that were also more serious issues, like tenants and house buyers thinking a ‘thousand times’ before buying or renting a house in the locality for fear that it may be home to murderers or henchmen, when actually, claim residents, it’s a peaceful neighbourhood.

Residents said that they had informally changed the name of the street to ‘33 Gowda Mutt Road’. Kolaikaranpettai branches off onto Gowda Mutt Road.

“The postmen and courier boys know that it has to be delivered here,” said Ramu.

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