At least 22 official languages, but Hindi ‘national language’, says SC

The Supreme Court has held that witnesses from West Bengal are expected to convey their version in Hindi before a motor claims tribunal in Uttar Pradesh, as Hindi is the “national language”. A bench of Justice Dipankar Datta was hearing an application filed by a vehicle owner seeking transfer of a claim petition pending before a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehgarh to West Bengal’s Darjeeling. It was argued that the accident had taken place at Siliguri in Darjeeling district and, therefore, it would be expedient for the MACT at Darjeeling to decide the claim petition. Also, it was said that since all the witnesses of the petitioner (owner of offending vehicle) are from Siliguri, the Hindi language in Uttar Pradesh could be a barrier in the claim procedure. However, the apex court dismissed the transfer petition, filed under Section 25 of the Code of Civil Procedure Code, 1908, saying that if the case is transferred to Siliguri, the claimants would be “seriously prejudiced” not being in a position to communicate and convey their version in Bengali.