CHENNAI: Dismissing the bail plea of an accused belonging to the Tamil Nadu Liberation Army in the pipe bomb planting case that took place in 2014, Madras High Court judge N Kirubakaran observed that the Central government should not create an impression among the public that a particular language is being discriminated against and only a few chosen languages are given prominence to safeguard the integrity of the nation.
Judge Kirubakaran in his judgement observed the government to "Not create any apprehension in the minds of the people that only a few chosen languages are given prominence and recognition especially when there are about 22 languages recognized and listed in the VIII Schedule of the Constitution of India which are entitled to equal treatment and protection so that all Indian languages are well-developed and preserved."
There should not be any room for linguistic chauvinists to create any unrest in the name of languages in any part of our country, he added.
"Our country is a multiracial, multicultural, multilingual and multi-religious. Peace and Harmony have to be maintained.
For that, Governments should make every citizen feel that their language, culture, religion, race are preserved and protected and not interfered with or suppressed by any action of the Governments.
Even an apprehension should not be created in the minds of the people which would be certainly counterproductive," he emphasized.
Dismissing the bail plea of the accused who was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosives Act, the Court also reiterated that unity of the nation and safety of the people is paramount.
The Governments, especially the Central Government, has to keep a serious vigilance on religious fundamentalists groups, communal elements and anti-national forces and their supporters, the flow of funds particularly in North-East, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, West Bengal, Punjab, Orissa, Bihar, Chattisgarh where these elements are active and radicalising the youth by creating fear psychosis.
Referring to the recent Galwan valley standoff between India and China, he mentioned that it "exposed people who are lovers of the neighbouring nation, as they openly support the neighbouring enemy country."
However, judge R Hemalatha who was part of the same division bench expressed that she does not subscribe to the larger views expressed by Justice Kirubakaran, which she said were irrelevant to the instant case.
"They are not relevant to the present petition", Justice Hemalatha said, while concluding on the following note, "Learning languages is a matter of one's personal choice."