Madras HC disposes plea against classical status to non-Tamil languages

The Madras high court declined on Monday to interfere with the grant of classical status to languages other than Tamil by the central government.

The court was disposing of petitions challenging the grant of classical status to Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Odiya and norms governing such conferment.

The first bench comprising chief justice SK Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan said an expert body set up for the purpose was satisifed that these languages met the criteria and the court could not go into the body’s opinions and findings.

The bench had on July 13 last reserved its orders on the petitions filed by senior advocate R Gandhi who had challenged the norms governing the grant of the classical status and the status accorded to the four languages.

“From the records it is evident that the expert body was satisfied that the languages comply with the eligibility criteria. Therefore, this court cannot go into the opinions and findings of the expert body,” the bench said in its order.

The court also said it disagreed with the petitioner’s stand that the prominence of Tamil language would be lost if it was treated on par with the other languages, which have been conferred classical status.

“We do not agree with the petitioner. The prominence of a language would not depend on the development or fall of other languages,” the bench said.

Rather the growth and importance can be attributed only to the usage of language and creative contribution in the forms of arts and literature, it said.

The Madras high court declined on Monday to interfere with the grant of classical status to languages other than Tamil by the central government.

The court was disposing of petitions challenging the grant of classical status to Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Odiya and norms governing such conferment.

The first bench comprising chief justice SK Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan said an expert body set up for the purpose was satisifed that these languages met the criteria and the court could not go into the body’s opinions and findings.

The bench had on July 13 last reserved its orders on the petitions filed by senior advocate R Gandhi who had challenged the norms governing the grant of the classical status and the status accorded to the four languages.

“From the records it is evident that the expert body was satisfied that the languages comply with the eligibility criteria. Therefore, this court cannot go into the opinions and findings of the expert body,” the bench said in its order.

The court also said it disagreed with the petitioner’s stand that the prominence of Tamil language would be lost if it was treated on par with the other languages, which have been conferred classical status.

“We do not agree with the petitioner. The prominence of a language would not depend on the development or fall of other languages,” the bench said.

Rather the growth and importance can be attributed only to the usage of language and creative contribution in the forms of arts and literature, it said.

 

 

source:hindustantimes