Dr EM Sudarsana Natchiappan in Indian Parliament

Now, Dr. E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan to move a Resolution regarding need to declare the Tamil Language as the National Official Language and Thiruvalluvar’s birthday be celebrated as National Language Day. DR. E.M. SUDARSANA NATCHIAPPAN (TAMIL NADU): Thank you very much, Mr. Vice-Chairman, Sir. This is one of the dreams to bring this on record of the august Parliament. I tried it twice but every time the last minute it had gone out. Today, I could get the fortune of bringing this Resolution before this august House. I move the following Resolution:This House resolves that:-

(i) the Tamil language as the ancient language of Mohenjadaro- Harappa civilization should be made the national official language;
(ii) Tamil should be notified by the Presidential order as court language in High Court at Madras and its Madurai Bench;

(iii) Thirukkural, the Ancient Tamil work should be declared as national classical book and translated into all Indian languages in the VIII schedule of Constitution of India; (iv) Thiruvalluvarâs birthday should be celebrated as national language day;

(v) Thirukkural should be part of study in every level of education in schools and colleges at national level and in all states; and
(vi) a Central University should be established in Thiruvalluvarâs name dedicated for world peace and equality.â

Sir, the Tamil was declared as a classical language in the UPA rule. Earlier, Sanskrit alone was the classical language and afterwards Tamil was also made the classical language because of the guidance of the then Chairperson of UPA, Madam Sonia Gandhi. Subsequently, the Dravidian languages of Telugu and Kannada were also declared as classical languages.

(Contd. b SUDARSANA NATCHIAPPAN(CONTD.): This ancient Dravidian culture, by record of history, has developed as a first civilisation in the world. Since there were no sufficient records available, the Chinese civilisation and the other Roman civilisation were taken as a prior one and a more accepted one throughout the world. Even the classical language and the architectural knowledge of the Tamil people was clearly proved by the Mohenjadaro and Harappan excavations. One part is now in Pakistan and the other part also is in the part of Pakistan. But, at the same time, the Indus civilization â so-called subsequently by the Britishers â has spread throughout the world. Tamil language was one of the ancient languages accepted by the UNESCO. It is an official language in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Maldives and a medium language in Malaysia and also in many of the countries, including the European countries, the Netherlands and other countries. USA, Canada, Australia and all other countries were following the language of Tamil and Tamil culture is also developing there by having many temples and architectural beauty of the Tamil culture. Sir, I was surprised on seeing how in the erstwhile Russian area, that is, the countries which were under the Soviet Russia have now become

separate countries in many parts of the Central Europe; when we visited there as an official delegation under the Chairmanâs leadership, I could see that many of the people from those countries were talking in Tamil. If we take the origin of the Russian people, they may be having a different language or religion but they love the language and they study the Indian culture through Tamil medium. Similarly, throughout the world, you can see how the language has evolved. If you take the Apple, one of the very acceptable ways of communication through computers and phones, if you look at the Indian languages, it is having Tamil as a language for typewriting. Similarly, if you take Sri Lanka, Tamil is there. In other countries also, Tamil is one of the languages, taken up as a language of their own country. Throughout the world, Sangam literature, is a very ancient one. A poet, who belongs to my district, Kaniyan Pungundranar, told many centuries ago that Tamil people love the world. Everywhere, every person is kingâs man for them and every place is their own home. Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kelir. That was the basic tenor of the Tamil culture. Wherever they live, they accept that ecology, they accept that environment and they accept the culture. They absorb and assimilate themselves within the culture but, at the same time, theyretain the Tamil language. Wherever we go, the culture of the Tamil is also very much apparent. Even when you go to a restaurant, you can very easily find out from the food material the ancient culture of the Tamil people. You can take that type of food. The cultural aspect of architecture is accepted throughout the world. UNESCO has also accepted it. The Temple of Madurai is declared as one of the landmark locations of architecture. Similarly, many of the architectural beauties were accepted throughout the world.

Sir, the first part of the Resolution is on this basis of the Cultural Ministry. My friend hon. Minister Chaudhary is here, who is going to reply for this Resolution, I hope. I feel that Ministry of Culture is also connected with this Resolution. Similarly, the Human Resource Development Ministry has also to reply. The Ministry of Home Affairs is to reply on the acceptance of Tamil as an official language and Tamil should be declared an official language because it is a national language already accepted by the Constitution.

(Continued by 2N/YSR)

-BHS/YSR-GS/4.40/2NDR. E.M. SUDARSANA NATCHIAPPAN (CONTD.): The Justice Department has to accept it as court language. This is the second

point of my Resolution. It says that Tamil should be notified by a Presidential order as court language in High Court at Madras and its Madurai Bench. I am stressing on this point because when Dr. Kalaignar Karunanidhi was Chief Minister, he mooted the idea by sending an official letter to the then Chief Justice A.P. Shah requesting that Tamil should be made court language of the Madras High Court and its Madurai Bench. Immediately, the then Chief Justice of Madras High Court constituted a committee. That committee subsequently was convened under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of India, Justice Sathasivam. They made a recommendation that Tamil can be taken as court language provided certain things like simultaneous translation and the literature, which is available in English format, are made available in Tamil format for citation by different High Courts and the Supreme Court. Similarly, they asked for simultaneous translation in English and Tamil for non-Tamil speaking people who would be High Court Judges.

SHRIMATI PUSHPA SASIKALA: My leader also insisted on it.
DR. E.M. SUDARSANA NATCHIAPPAN: Kindly wait for a moment. I am only asking for it for the Tamil people. This recommendation of judges was again sent to the then Chief Minister. The Chief Minister then sent another letter asking how much money they would need for its implementation. They replied that they needed Rs.20 crore for the purpose. When Ms. Jayalalithaa became Chief Minister, she pursued it. She put it in her two subsequent manifestos that Tamil would be made court language in the High Court at Madras and its Madurai Bench. She also moved the file to the Government. I raised the question in this august House and the then hon. Law Minister, Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, replied in the written format and also in the form of Starred Question that the Government of India is ready to take up Tamil as court language of the High Court at Madras and its Madurai Bench. At the same time, I feel that the Government is unnecessarily sending the files to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. I will tell you why I am using the word âunnecessarilyâ. I will read the relevant portion from the Constitution. It is Article 348 (2).

âNotwithstanding anything in sub-clause (a) of clause (1), the Governor of a State may, with the previous consent of the President, authorise the use of the Hindi language, or any other language used for any official purposes of the State, in proceedings in the High Court having its principal seat in that State:

Provided that nothing in this clause shall apply to any judgment, decree or order passed or made by such High Court.â

Therefore, there is no need for consultation with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court need not sit in judgement on giving a High Court the right to have a particular language. Regional languages or sub-regional languages can also get the right. This is purely part of the Executive discretion. The Governor will recommend it to the President. The President has to satisfy himself. And according to the Constitution, it is the Union Government, which has to satisfy itself that that language can be used as court language of a particular High Court. If it is satisfied, then it can be notified by a Presidential order. It is the second point of my Resolution, which I am moving today. Therefore, there is no need to waste time in sending the file again and again to the judiciary, which is not even ready to sit in another part of the country.

(Contd. DR. E.M. SUDARSANA NATCHIAPPAN (CONTD.): I am sorry to say that, but as Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, I know that.

The Committee has recommended having three zonal benches of the Supreme Court at Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. But, every time, the Supreme Court rejected it. Why? There is no reason for that. They rejected it saying that there is no need for that. It is a big country where you need access to justice. We need not seek judicial verdict on this issue. This is a mandate given by the Constitution that you can have the benches in different parts of the country. It is the prerogative of the people. It is the demand of the people. Therefore, we have to see to it that the Government should make the recommendation to the President, as the then hon. Law Minister, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, assured this House when he was replying to the Starred Question.

Then, the third one is regarding Thirukkural, the ancient Tamil work. The ruling Party is already propagating that they are supporting this cause. The Vice-Chairman, who is in the Chair now, Mr. Siva, had also raised this issue here earlier as Special Mention to declare Thirukkural as national classical work. It will give you a very clear picture of Indian culture. It has absorbed all the epics of Indian culture. It has said that human being is a divine human being. Divine human being has a certain thing to do in the world. For that, you need certain discipline. What are the disciplines that you have to follow? You need education. You need strategy. To rule a country, you need ambassadors to go to other countries so that trade can be developed. These are all part of it. Many centuries ago, Thirukkural had declared that. Similarly, it also speaks about culture. How human beings could come out with a good family of children, how they can develop a good family with male and female, how they can have hereditary as part not only of the family but also of the whole country, etc., are all very clearly depicted in a very lucid and simple language in Thirukkural. Therefore, what we request is that this should be made a national classical book. It is beyond religion. It also tells about the God if you accept it. If you do not accept the God, then you accept the nature. That is also said in that. Therefore, more or less, in one way, it is secular. In another way, it is a religious document. Therefore, it is a well-placed and well-practised document throughout the world and many countries have translated it including many European languages and the Chinese language. Many languages throughout the world have translated Thirukkural and they are using it in their day-to-day affairs.

Sir, then, next one is, I request that the Thiruvalluvarâs birthday should be celebrated as National Language Day. I even proposed in one of my speeches in this august House that there should be a day dedicated to the national languages contained in the Eighth Schedule. There are 22 languages. Members from a particular area should speak in their own language in this august House so that we have integrity. How have we created Hindi? Why was Hindi taken as a national language? Mahatma Gandhi said that there should be a National Hindi Commission. Why? He wanted to say that if five Indians are standing and talking to each other, words of every personâs mother language should be part of Hindi. Hindi should not be Sanskritised. It should be a language of Indian languages. All languages of India should be part of Hindi. That is Hindustani. We want to have Hindustani. If Hindustani is there, there is no need for anti-Hindi agitation in Tamil Nadu. If you accept Tamil words and absorb them into Hindi, Tamil people will accept that. If you say that you would like to have a purified, Sanskritised Hindi, then people will not accept it, except the people who know certain words in Sanskrit or those who use it for their livelihood.

I brought the point that Thirukkural should be studied at the levels ofschool and college education, at the national level and in all the States. Why I am making this request is because the Tamil language has no feeling of separation from any other language or culture. As I said in the initial part of the debate, the Tamil people wherever they go they assimilate that culture. They go along with the culture. You go to any villages in Uttar Pradesh or Odisha or Rajasthan or Gujarat, you will find Tamil people. I know that the hon. Minister may be having friends in Gujarat from Tamil culture. Similarly, when Gujaratis are coming to Chennai or Madurai or to any place, they absorb the Tamil language and they carry the Tamil literature. Therefore, this is a language which is loved by all the people. These are the people who love everybody as equals. There is no difference between the language and the people at any cost. That is the way the Tamil literature has been brought up. You can see in every part of the literature that people are part of thehumanity, part of the universe. The universe is having different positions and different directions. That is the way of Tamil people, and that is the way Tamil language is also spreading out.

DR. E.M. SUDARSANA NATCHIAPPAN (TAMIL NADU): I appreciate the long history which is more or less expressed by the hon. Minister. But I could understand that out of six demands, he is ready to take upthree demands and they are in the process of being implemented. But the other three demands, making it as an official language and also making it a language of the court have to be pursued by this Government because you have got majority in your hand. When we were trying to bring it as a classical language, there was some opposition. Even then we could bring Tamil, Telugu and Kannada as classical language. Similarly, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru had promised at that time and made it properly clear that English will be the link language till the Tamil, non-Hindi speaking people, accept it.

(Contd by 3B/USY) Late Shri Lal Bahadur Shashtri had made a specific point that whatever the communication sent by the Union Government to all the States in India, except Tamil Nadu, could be sent in Hindi. That is the promise that they were holding. We are not asking for anything extraordinary. But we want to have it as a part of the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. And, it should be accepted as an official language. As regards getting the acceptance of the Supreme Court of India, it will never happen because the case of Gujarati, as a court language for the State of Gujarat, is also pending before the Supreme Court; the case of Rajasthani is also pending before the Supreme Court. Please consider taking Tamil language. Therefore, I am not in a position to withdraw my Resolution. Let it be decided by voting.

THE VICE-CHAIRMAN (DR. SATYANARAYAN JATIYA): The question is:

âThis House resolves that:-
(i) the Tamil language as the ancient language of Mohenjadaro -Harappa civilization should be made the national official language;

ii) Tamil should be notified by the Presidential order as court language in High Court at Madras and its Madurai Bench;

(iii) Thirukkural, the Ancient Tamil work should be declared as national classical book and translated into all Indian languages in the VIII schedule of Constitution of India;

(iv) Thiruvalluvarâs birthday should be celebrated as national language day;

(v) Thirukkural should be part of study in every level of education in schools and colleges at national level and in all states; and

(vi) a Central University should be established in Thiruvalluvarâs name dedicated for world peace and equality.â

The motion was negatived.

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Dr EM Sudarsana Natchiappan in Indian Parliament

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