Madras High Court refuses to interfere with lawyers' indefinite fast for Tamil as court language

The Madras High Court on Wednesday refused to pass any order or direction in connection with the indefinite fast by a group of lawyers demanding that Tamil be recognised as one of the official languages of the High Court..A bench of Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy said that it is a "political matter" between the executive and the protesting lawyers and therefore, there was no room for passing a judicial order.The bench suggested that members of the Bar should initiate a dialogue with the State government to resolve the issue..The Court made the comments after lawyer K Balu made an urgent mentioning this morning to inform the bench that some lawyers have been on a fast for eight days and that two of them, including a 91-year-old lawyer had to be admitted to a hospital on Tuesday after their health deteriorated due to the fast.Balu urged the Court to at least pass oral directions to the TN government to initiate talks with those protesting..Chief Justice Gangapurwala, however, said while that he understood Balu's anxiety, it was not possible for the Court to pass any orders."We understand your anxiety. We know that it is an important issue and human lives are precious but these are political and executive decisions. How can any orders be passed on the judicial side? Why don't you take it up? In fact, the Bar can prevail upon the govt to hold talks and the Government Pleader may take it to notice of the government," the bench said..On February 20 this year, a single-judge presided over by Justice Anand Venkatesh had permitted lawyer G Bhagavath Singh to sit on an indefinite fast at the Rajarathinam Stadium in Egmore, Chennai, on the condition that there would be no law and order problems or instances of violence due to such fast.Singh had told the Court at the time that around 25 people were likely to participate in the fast and that the participants will not create any law and order problems.