TN Assembly Passes Resolution for Tamil as Madras High Court's Principal Language

The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution urging the union government to recognise Tamil as the principal language of the Madras High Court in Chennai. The resolution was moved by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who stated that the measure was not directed against any language.

Moving the resolution, Chief Minister Vijay highlighted that the Constitution of India upholds the federal principle and acknowledges the nation's multilingual and multicultural character while providing legal avenues for states to employ their respective official languages. He told the House that the Assembly unanimously urges the union government to take immediate and necessary action to facilitate the use of Tamil as the principal language of the High Court of Madras.

Following discussions from legislators across party lines, Speaker JCD Prabhakar declared the resolution unanimously adopted. Members of key parties, including the principal opposition DMK, spoke in favour of the move. During the debate, former AIADMK minister C Ve Shanmugam suggested that the Madras High Court should be renamed the Tamil Nadu High Court, a demand echoed by DMK member EV Velu.

Shanmugam also alleged a north-south divide, pointing out that states such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh were permitted to use Hindi in their respective high courts, while a request to allow Tamil in the Madras High Court had been disallowed. DMK legislator S Regupathy recalled that his party's late patriarch, M Karunanidhi, had initiated efforts to introduce Tamil in the court and noted that resolutions had been passed twice during previous DMK-led regimes. Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar stated that this marked the first time a resolution specifically sought principal language status for Tamil, prompting Regupathy to reiterate that DMK governments had consistently advocated for Tamil in the state's top court.

The adopted resolution highlighted Tamil's standing as an ancient classical language with a literary and grammatical heritage spanning millennia. It cited advancements in legal vocabulary and modern tools such as technology-enabled translation, calling for a framework to ensure all judgments, decrees, and judicial orders from the High Court are delivered in Tamil.

Under Article 348(1)(a) of the Constitution of India, proceedings in the Supreme Court and high courts are conducted in English, though a state Governor may, with prior presidential consent, authorise the use of Hindi or another official state language in the high court. A Cabinet Committee decision dated May 21, 1965, further stipulates that the consent of the Chief Justice of India must be obtained before any language other than English is permitted for high court proceedings.