Chennai, India – The Madras High Court is set to hear a plea challenging the use of Hindi names for newly enacted criminal laws. Petitioners argue that the imposition of Hindi terms violates the linguistic rights of non-Hindi speaking states and undermines the principle of federalism. They urge the court to mandate the use of English or regional languages in naming such laws.
In his plea, Adityan submitted that the Union Government has given Hindi and Sanskrit names to the new criminal laws. He added that out of the 28 states and 8 union territories in the country, only 9 states and 2 union territories have Hindi as their official language. He added that Hindi was not the mother tongue of 56.37% of Indians and yet the Union Government decided to name the new laws in Hindi and Sanskrit.
The plea highlights concerns over cultural and linguistic imposition, stressing the need for inclusivity and respect for India’s linguistic diversity. The court’s decision could have significant implications for legislative practices across the country.
Adityan added that as per Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Official Language Act 1956, Tamil and English were the official languages in Tamil Nadu. Thus, the new Hindi names would be in violation of the Tamil Nadu Official Language Act.
Adityan emphasized that laws written by the legislatures should be understandable to the average man as well as a legal professional.
