Stalin renews plea to set up southern bench of SC in Chennai

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday renewed his plea to the Supreme Court to establish the southern bench of the apex court in the state and make Tamil an official language of the Madras High Court.

Speaking at the silver jubilee celebration of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) in the city, Stalin said, “Efforts must be made to set up the southern bench of the Supreme Court in Chennai considering the welfare of the people and advocates. Tamil should be made an official language of the Madras High Court.”

Describing his plea as the “request of the people” in the rule of law, the Chief Minister recalled the same plea he made with the Chief Justice of India earlier, and said, “Nonetheless, I would like to urge and remind the same. I kindly request the judges (Supreme Court judges) who have graced the function to fulfil the requests for Tamil Nadu. As far as the judiciary is concerned, I believe the judges are aware that I have come here only as a person placing requests.”

Remarking that only “a government of law, justice and social justice could be a government of the people, ” Stalin announced that the government would soon fill the vacancies and increase the staff strength of the SHRC.

Assuring that the government would soon review and make a decision on increasing the representation of police in the probe committee of the commission and utilise the services of rights activists working for the rights of the marginalised, the Chief Minister said that the website of SHRC would be developed in Tamil and information pertaining to human rights would be translated in Tamil to ensure that it reaches everyone.

He also proposed to organise training workshops to educate all sections of people on human rights principles and their compliance. Stating that no individual’s rights should be violated and no society should insult anyone, the Chief Minister said that no person responsible for such violations should escape the law.