High Court Has Issued Order To the Centre Regarding The Plea Of A Tamil Nadu MP To Reply In English Only
Update: 2021-08-20 12:35 IST
Madras High Court
The Madras High Court's Madurai Bench on Thursday ordered the central government to fully adhere to the terms of the Official Languages Act, 1963.
According to the High Court, the Centre shall respond in the same terms as the state government's plea to the central government.
The court explained that in the situation when therepresentation is made in English, it is the Union government's responsibility to respond in english only.
On a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) brought by Madurai Lok Sabha MP S. Venkatesh, a division bench comprising Justices N Kirubakaran and M Duraiswamy issued the orders. The petition read by Venkatesh stated that for the written test to fill 780 jobs in Group B and Group C, Tamil Nadu has not established an examination centre in Pondicherry. So, on October 9, he wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs, requesting that at least one test centre be established in these locations.
It also added that on November 9, the Minister of State for Home Affairs responded in a letter written in Hindi. As a result, he couldn't understand what was said by them due to the language.
"Answering in Hindi is a violation of the law," the Bench ruled after hearing the PIL, reported NDTV. Tamil Nadu residents continue to write letters to the Central Government in Hindi, requesting that they solve their problems. This is in violation of the Official Languages Act of 1963 and constitutional legal rights.
It further added that MPs from states where Hindi is not spoken are infringing on the rights of others. As a result, correspondence to the Tamil Nadu government, members of Parliament, and the people of Tamil Nadu should not be written in Hindi. Letters from the central government should only be written in english. It should also take disciplinary measures against officials who break the law.
The order issued by the Bench comprising Justices N Kirubakaran said that mother tongue is important but at the same time, in the present situation more emphasis is given to English and has more significance. Whatever the message, the Bench stated that it is only full when it is comprehended in the native tongue.
The government should recognise the value of each language and take necessary steps to promote its development, according to the Bench.
Meanwhile, the court stated that itis also confirmed by the Indian Office Language Act. The petitioner, on the other hand, has received a reply in Hindi in this case. While the central governmenthas said that it does not had any intention of breaking the norms.