CHENNAI: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday urged the Centre to grant legal recognition to Tamil as the primary language of the Madras High Court, saying judgments, decrees and court orders should also be issued in Tamil. He moved a special resolution to this effect in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, according to a Maalaimalar report.
Vijay said Tamil was already being used as a language of proceedings in district courts and argued that extending its use to the Madras High Court would make legal proceedings more accessible to people. He stressed that the demand was not against any other language, but aimed at securing legal recognition for Tamil in the higher judiciary.
The Chief Minister said arguments and proceedings would be easier for people to understand when presented in Tamil. He also pointed out that Tamil had already been declared the official language of Tamil Nadu and said there were legal provisions allowing the state language to be used in courts.
Vijay urged the President and the Central Government to grant the necessary approval for Tamil to be recognised for use in the Madras High Court. He said immediate steps should be taken on proposals related to the use of Tamil in the higher judiciary.
The Assembly proceedings began with the Question Hour on Thursday. Vijay subsequently made three announcements under Rule 110 before moving the special resolution seeking recognition for Tamil as the primary language of the Madras High Court.
Speaking on the resolution, Vijay said it was a matter of pride that Tamil was the mother tongue of the people and stressed the importance of preserving the richness of the language and passing it on to future generations. He said Tamil had remained a vibrant and spoken language for thousands of years and described recognising it as the primary language of the Madras High Court as an imperative of the times. A debate among Assembly members is under way on the resolution, with members discussing the proposal seeking approval for the use of Tamil in the Madras High Court