"Petition Is Misconceived": Madras High Court On Plea To Educate Tamil Nadu People To Show Respect While Referring To India

The Madras High Court last week declined to entertain a PIL petition seeking a direction to educate Tamil Nadu people, to respect the country India, by calling its name as it is in the official writings and speeches by adhering to patriotism, sovereignty, and respect.

Calling the prayer in the plea as 'absolutely vague' as to what sort of education to be given to the people of the State of Tamil Nadu, the Bench of Justice T. S. Sivagnanam and Justice S. Ananthi, therefore, disposed of the plea noting that the relief sought for in the writ petition was misconceived.

The plea has been filed by a practicing Advocate who referred to the Chief Minister of the State of Tamil Nadu and the Council of Ministers in the manner in which they address the Government of India, while speaking in the legislative assembly.

"In our considered view, the prayer sought for is thoroughly misconceived and no such direction can be issued by this Court directing the State Government or the Hon'ble Chief Minister to speak in a particular fashion," observed the Court.

Accordingly, the Writ Petition stood disposed of. 

It may be noted that recently the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin had stated the Tamil Nadu Government would use the words "Ondriya Arasu" [meaning Union Government] in official communications made to the Centre.

Till now, the Centre was being called "Mathiya Arasu" [meaning Central Government] while referring to the Centre. 

As reported widely in the media, Chief Minister Stalin had said that using the word 'Ondriyam' to refer to the Central government was not a social crime and no one needs to be rattled by it.

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