[Madras Bar Association in a meeting. (File Photo)]
Chennai: The Madras Bar Association in a resolution passed in its meting on August 23, 2023 urged the Narendra Modi government in New Delhi to retain the English names for criminal laws.
The Madras Bar Association resolution came weeks after the Union Home Minister led by Amit Shah tabled three new Bills in the Parliament to what it claimed the "reform in criminal laws" and course correction to rewrite British laws.
Among other things the new Bills also proposed to rename the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita, Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) as Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Indian Evidence Act as Bhartiya Sakshya Act.
The Madras Bar Association has termed the renaming of criminal laws into heavy Hindi as against the Constitution and also dubbed it a move to impose Hindi.
After discussion and deliberation, the Extraordinary General Body Meeting of the Madras Bar Association held has resolved unanimously its objection and anguish over the naming of bills in Hindi, President of the Madras Bar Association V.R. Kamalanathan and Secretary D. Sreenivasan, said in a joint statement.
“The move is against the provisions of the Constitution of India. It is further resolved that the suggestions and views of the said Bills will be sent shortly to the Minister of Law, Government of India with a request to reconsider and restore the original names of the above-mentioned acts,” said the resolution.
Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin too had slammed the Union government for making attempts to replace the criminal laws by introducing new Bills in Parliament.
Stalin charged that it was an audacious attempt by the BJP-led Central government to tamper with the essence of India’s diversity through a sweeping overhaul — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill — reeks of linguistic imperialism.
"This is an affront to the very foundation of India’s unity. BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have no moral right to even utter the word of Tamil language hereafter", he said.
CM Stalin maintained that in the crucible of history, Tamil Nadu and DMK have emerged as the vanguards against such oppressive overtones.
“From the anti-Hindi agitations to safeguarding our linguistic identity, we have withstood the storm of Hindi imposition before, and we shall do it again, with unyielding determination,” he said.
“The fire of resistance against Hindi colonialism is ablaze once more. The BJP’s audacious bid to supplant our identity with Hindi will be opposed resolutely,” he stated.
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