'Carry out constructive works to make Tamil as official language', says MHC
The judge refused to grant such life-threatening agitations and directed the Additional Public Prosecutor to find out other forms of protest to be allowed by December 20
Madras High Court
CHENNAI: Fasting until death without carrying out any constructive works to make Tamil as an official language of the Madras High Court (MHC) will not help, the court advised the petitioner.
Justice G Jayachandran observed that the lawyers and advocates, who are really concerned to make Tamil as an official language of MHC must start translating all the legal terms from English to Tamil, instead of staging agitations such as fasting until death.
Advocate G Bhagavath Singh moved the MHC seeking to direct the police to permit indefinite fast, demanding Tamil as an official language of MHC.
However, the judge refused to grant such life-threatening agitations and directed the Additional Public Prosecutor to find out other forms of protest to be allowed by December 20 (Wednesday).
The judge also observed that the lawyers should start arguing in Tamil before the judges like him, who were conversant with it and willing to allow arguments in vernacular languages.
The court also observed that the absence of a proper glossary as well as English - a Tamil dictionary and consequent translation of legal books in the vernacular language is serving as the major impediment to the introduction of Tamil as an official language of MHC.
Tamil would be accepted as one of the official languages of the MHC in a few years, if lawyers start to translate the legal terms, maxims, and doctrines in Tamil and start arguing in Tamil, observed the judge.
The petitioner sought permission to allow him and other lawyers to sit in fast, demanding Tamil as an official language of MHC, at Chennai collectorate or near Thiruvalluvar statue near Marina beach.
