Assistant Solicitor General L Victoria Gowri, appearing for the Centre, said the reply to Venkatesan had been inadvertently written in Hindi
The Centre cannot use Hindi to communicate with states that have not adopted it as their official language, the Madras High Court said on September 9.
A bench of Justices N Kirubakaran (now retired) and M Duraiswamy said this is in line with the Official Languages Act 1963 and the Official Language Rules 1976, legal news website Bar & Bench reported.
The Bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed by Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Madurai, Su. Venkatesan. The MP had approached the Madras HC after he received a response from the Central government in Hindi to a representation made by him in English.
“To put it in other words, the official language of India (Hindi) cannot be used for official correspondence with the State of Tamil Nadu. When the Act of Parliament states about the use of English language for official purpose of communication between the Union and the States which have not adopted Hindi as their official language, the Central Government is duty bound to follow the enactment,” the court observed, as quoted by the website.
The court noted that according to Article 350 of the Constitution, once a representation to a Union or State government has been made in a particular language, the reply should be given in the same language.
Assistant Solicitor General L Victoria Gowri, appearing for the Centre, said the reply to Venkatesan had been inadvertently written in Hindi. Gowri said it was not the Central government’s intent to violate any provision of the Official Languages Act, 1963 or Rules.
“It is available in public domain that information sought by the people of non Hindi speaking States, especially, from Tamil Nadu, is given only in Hindi … When a right is given under Article 19 (1) of the Constitution regarding freedom to write and freedom of expression, it is the duty of the Central Government to use English. People from various States would feel very happy, if the communications are given in their own language, whereas the Central Government has confined only to English and Hindi,” the Court said.
“Any kind of fanaticism is not good for any society. Fanaticism, in any form, is to be condemned, if it is exhibited. Linguistic fanaticism is more dangerous as it would give an impression that one language alone is superior and being imposed upon the people speaking different languages,” the Court added.
Source: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/do-not-communicate-with-tamil-nadu-in-hindi-madras-hc-tells-centre-7452911.html
