Asim Pandya resigns as GHCAA President after majority lawyers oppose his proposal to add Gujarati as a language of High Court

President of Gujarat High Court Advocates' association, Asim Pandya, on Monday tendered his resignation on account of majority of the association's lawyers opposing his movement seeking addition of Gujarati as a language of the Gujarat High Court..On September 8, Pandya had urged Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat to introduce Gujarati as a language of the Gujarat High Court. Sixty-two percent of the association's lawyers were against the proposal. In his resignation letter, he stated that his personal ideology, while in line with the aims and objectives of the Association's Constitution, was at odds with the majority members' views, and that he would rather give up his post of President of the Association than his personal ideology, which he said was in the larger interest of litigants and the legal system."My personal ideology, though in furtherance with the aims and objects enshrined in the constitution of the Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association, is in conflict with the views of the majority members of our Association and hence, I would rather give up my post of President of the Association then the personal ideology which is in the larger interest of litigants and the legal system," the letter said..Further, he stated that the argument of his detractors that the use of Gujarati will result in sacrificing the dignity and decorum of our court was unconvincing."I am unable to appreciate the argument that the use of our mother tongue Gujarati can ever result in sacrificing the dignity and decorum of our court," he said..Thereafter, he mentioned another campaign he intended to run to restore the original system evolved the Bombay Bar Association (Original Side) of recognising advocates, who are senior at the Bar and have reasonably good practice, and accepting them on the roll of Senior Advocates on voluntary basis.Being of the view that recognition as Senior Advocate should be based on objective criteria only excluding subjectivity which is present in the current system under Section 16 of the Advocates Act, 1961, he apprehended opposition from the Bar and determined that it would be in his best interest to resign from the post and pursue his individual ideologies. "Let me make it clear that I am not sacrificing my post of President for my personal ideology. One can be said to be sacrificing the post if he is exploiting the post for his personal gain. I had accepted the post of President to serve you and not rule you. So, I am not losing anything," he added..Lastly, he expressed gratitude towards those who elected him as President, he sought pardon from those who believed that he acted in furtherance of his personal interest and hurt them..[Read Resignation Letter]