NEW DELHI: The AIADMK Wednesday requested the NDA government to allow using Tamil as the official language in the Madras High Court proceedings. The Centre has rejected the proposal sent by Tamil Nadu.
The matter was raised during Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha with AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa. She said that the Article 348 clearly states that the Governor of a State may, with the previous consent of the President, authorise the use of Hindi language, or any other language used for any official purposes of the State, in proceedings in the High Court having its principal seat in that State.
She further said that the Central Government has recently rejected the demand of Tamil Nadu for using Tamil as official language in the Madras High Court.
“We speak more about co-operative federalism, but it is very unfortunate that in true spirit, where are we? In 1997, 1999 and 2006 also, the Tamil Nadu State Legislative Assembly passed a Resolution and forwarded it for the approval of the President.
Emphasising that such a decision denies people’s right to know what is happening in the High Court, she said: “I would like to ask the Law Ministry in which way Tamil, which is our goddess and the first language of the world, is considered to be inferior to any other language of the world.”
“Thirukkural and many other Tamil literatures shaped the ethical and moral values of the people of the whole world. What is stopping BJP from promoting my own language in my own State? It is an insult not only to the Tamil people, but also to the whole country because Singapore and Sri Lanka allow their citizens to use Tamil as official language,” she added.