Supreme Court Chief Justice faced a rare situation on Wednesday morning while hearing a divorce petition that was going on for almost 20 years over maintenance and matrimonial matters of a couple.
The case seeking divorce by a couple came up for hearing in the Supreme Court and the woman client was expected to put forward her arguments. When she was facing difficulty in speaking English, the Justice understood that she was having trouble speaking in English.
CJI NV Ramana, whose mother tongue is Telugu, immediately asked her to speak in Telugu and continue her argument, to which she immediately said "Yes" and the hearing continued. The case concerns maintenance and matrimonial issues in a divorce case.
Chief Justice of India NV Ramana asks a litigant: Are you comfortable with English?
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) July 28, 2021
Litigant: a little bit
CJI NV Ramana explains the case in Telugu and asks her questions in a mix of Telugu and English#supremecourt pic.twitter.com/EVxf58yA3H
CJI Ramana, whose love for Telugu is well known, did not hesitate to translate immediately from Telugu to English for the other sitting justice in the Bench, Justice Surya Kant. Reports said that the bench was ble to convince the couple to reconcile on their plea that has been going on for 20 years.
CJI on Telugu language
Last week, while virtually inaugurating Sri Venkateshwarankita Chaturgunita Ashtavadhanam, a traditional exhibition of the superior mastery of one's cognitive capabilities by Dr Medasani Mohan, Justice Ramana stressed the need to protect the traditional practice of Ashtavadhanam in Telugu.
He also underscored that the Telugu people are linguaphiles but not fanatics, and reiterated the need to protect mother tongue and also to ensure it flourishes. "Honouring Telugu language is like Telugu people honouring themselves. It is our responsibility to give our beautiful, sweet language to future generations," he said.
Since the technology is completely changing the course of our lives today, he said people's interest in the language is declining and underscored the need to double our efforts to protect language, complex literature and traditions. He also noted that Koodiyattam, a traditional performing art form of Kerala, is facing the danger of extinction as it was based in the Sanskrit language.
