<div dir="ltr"><div><div><span class=""><h1>Constitutional bench of SC to hear ‘mother tongue’ case today</h1></span></div><div class=""><span class=""><span class="" style><span id="auim"></span></span>By Shyam Prasad S, Bangalore Mirror Bureau <span style="font-size:9px">|</span> Feb 11, 2014, 01.00 AM IST</span></div>
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On Tuesday, a Supreme Court Constitutional bench of five judges will
start hearing a case, whose subject has become one of the most
controversial subjects in many states. The court hearing is expected to
go on for at least four days. <br><br> The court will then decide the
meaning of 'mother tongue', and also decide the authority that will
determine what the mother tongue of a child seeking education in schools
is. The case stems from the Language Policy, 1994, of Karnataka. But
the implications will be for the entire country and could well decide
the fate of English as the medium of instruction. <br><br> The case is
of importance to the entire country and the five judges too are from
different regions. Justice RM Lodha (Rajasthan), Justice AK Patnaik
(Orissa), Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya (West Bengal), Justice Deepak Mishra
(Orissa) and Justice FM Ibrahim Kalifulla (Tamil Nadu) are the five
judges in the Constitutional bench. The state government is also taking
things seriously since they know that it is a 'do-or-die' battle. Chief
minister Siddaramaiah is said to have taken special interest in the case
and asked the Advocate General to personally take charge of arguing it
in the Supreme Court. Usually, the state's standing counsel in the SC
argues government cases. <br><br> The case is a bunch of 41 different
petitions. Advocates representing the state, various associations of
school managements and even litterateurs will argue before the bench.
Advocate Mohan Katarki, who has represented Karnataka in the Cauvery
Water Disputes Tribunal, is now representing one of the English medium
schools' associations. <br><br> The Karnataka Government's Language
Policy, 1994, had made 'mother tongue' or Kannada as the medium of
instruction. Since then, there has been a series of cases between
private English medium schools and the State government. But the crisis
goes even beyond that. In 1981, the Dr VK Gokak committee recommended
Kannada as the medium of education in the state. Government orders to
this effect were challenged in the HC and SC. In 1993, the SC bench of
Chief Justice MN Venkatachalaiah and Justice S Mohan upheld the
government decision. <br><br> Karnataka came up with the Language
Policy, 1994, which made either 'mother tongue' or Kannada as compulsory
medium of instruction in primary schools. <br><br> In 2008, the HC of
Karnataka struck down sections of the Language Policy that made 'mother
tongue' the mandatory medium of instruction, ruling that the parents
were free to get their children educated in any language of their
choice. <br><br> Karnataka challenged the HC striking down the clauses
in the HC. A division bench of the SC referred the matter to the larger
bench last year. <br><br> <br> <strong>5 Questions for Bench</strong><br> <br> What is the meaning of 'Mother tongue'? Who will decide what language a child is comfortable with?<br> Do citizens have right to choose medium of instruction at primary stage?<br>
Does imposition of mother tongue by state infringe on fundamental rights?<br> Is government recognition required for private and unaided schools?<br> Can the state compel linguistic minorities to choose their mother tongue as medium of instruction?<br>
<br><a href="http://www.bangaloremirror.com/bangalore/others/Constitutional-bench-of-SC-to-hear-mother-tongue-case-today/articleshow/30176065.cms">http://www.bangaloremirror.com/bangalore/others/Constitutional-bench-of-SC-to-hear-mother-tongue-case-today/articleshow/30176065.cms</a><br>
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