Five advocates began a fast on the Madras High Court premises even as members of the Advocates Forum for Social Justice, led by its president K. Balu, on Thursday presented a memorandum to Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, requesting him to intervene in declaring Tamil as official language of the Madras High Court and its Bench in Madurai.
In Madurai, Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Madurai Range) Sandeep Mittal visited the High Court Bench in the morning and held discussions with court officials even as six advocates continued their indefinite fast inside the court buildings for the ninth day demanding the use of Tamil in the High Court.
A.K. Ramasamy, secretary of the Madurai Bar Association, said the High Court judges were not in favour of lodging a police complaint to arrest the protesting lawyers. During a meeting between the Bench and the Bar recently, the judges had categorically said that they did not want to pave the way for a clash between police and lawyers, similar to the one that happened in Chennai last year.
Boycott of courts
Madras High Court Advocates Association president R.C. Paul Kanagaraj said advocates would abstain from courts on Friday urging immediate action on the demand. The Women Lawyers Association also said that its members would stay away.
Extending her party's support, AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa requested the advocates not to take an extreme decision and to give up their hunger strike.
