MUNNORAM Vs. HARIRAM

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Notice were issued in both these petitions to the Chief Secretary of the State of Rajasthan and others as both the learned Advocates, Mr. H. S. Balot and Mr. R. S. Gill, appearing for the respective petitioners in their matters, on earlier occasion insisted to address this Court only in Hindi. The petitions with Annexures are also in Hindi. Initially, to some extent, the feeling of the members of the Bar was also that all proceedings in this High Court should only be in Hindi, and they should be allowed to address the Court only in Hindi in view of the Notification issued by the Government of Rajasthan on February 14, 1950, whereby the Governor, with the previous consent of the President of India, permitted the use of Hindi language in proceedings in the High Court of Rajasthan, to the extent permissible under Article 348 (2) of the Constitution.

(2.) It was tried to be argued that after issuance of the Government Notification dated February 14, 1950, the official language of this High Court is Hindi. In support of argument a reliance was placed upon the judgment of the Division Bench of this Court in case of Narendra Kumar v. Rajasthan High Court (AIR 1991 Raj 33). In that case the question was "whether in view of Section 47 of the Rajasthan High Court Ordinance, 1949 (for short "the Ordinance") all the proceedings in this Court including the judgments, orders and decrees should only be written in Hindi Devnagri Script, which has been declared as official language of the Court ?" When it was pointed out that the Division Bench of this Court as in para 2 of its judgment has specifically held that :-

(3.) Proviso to Section 47 of the Rajasthan High Court Ordinance provides that where a Judge hearing a case is not familiar with the Hindi language, the proceedings may be conducted by him in English.