On Hindi Divas, meet Himachal lawyer who was first to embrace Hindi in courtrooms
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MANDI: On the occasion of Hindi Divas on September 14, The Newz Radar looks to introduce its readers and viewers to advocate Narendra Sharma, the trailblazer who made waves in the legal community by being the first lawyer in Himachal Pradesh to conduct his entire practice in Hindi.
Sharma’s unwavering commitment to his mother tongue is a testament to his resolve as he continues to carry out his legal work exclusively in Hindi, overcoming many challenges along the way.
Breaking barriers with Hindi in courtroom
Advocate Sharma, who works at the District and Sessions Courts of Mandi and Sundernagar, is a pioneer in practising law in Hindi in a profession that predominantly operates in English. In a system where legal documents, petitions, and court proceedings are primarily conducted in English, Sharma stands out by drafting his claims, counterclaims, and petitions in Hindi, which the courts have duly accepted.
Two-decade journey in Hindi advocacy
Sharma’s journey as a Hindi advocate spans over 25 years, during which he has argued cases and prepared legal documents exclusively in Hindi. Residing in Sundernagar, Sharma began this unique practice in 1999, inspired by Sub-Judge Durga Singh Khenal of the Sundernagar court.
His dedication stems from a deep belief that Hindi, being both his mother tongue and the national language as per the Indian Constitution, deserves to be integrated into every professional field, including law.
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Overcoming challenges and opposition
Practising law in Hindi has not been an easy road for Sharma. He has faced opposition and numerous difficulties in advocating for Hindi in a system that favours English. However, his resilience has enabled him to continue his legal work in Hindi, handling everything from claims and counterclaims to appeals and revisions in district courts.
Sharma points to Article 343 of the Constitution, which designates Devanagari (Hindi) as the national language and Section 7 of the Official Language Act of 1963, which mandates the use of Hindi in the High Courts of states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Yet, despite these provisions, Hindi has not gained similar recognition in Himachal Pradesh.
Struggle for recognition in Himachal
In an exclusive interview with The Newz Radar, Advocate Narendra Sharma expressed his dismay that even after 77 years of Independence, Hindi has not been officially recognised by the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
Despite amendments in the Indian Civil Protection Code 2023 under Section 307, which governs the use of languages in court, the state’s High Court and even the Supreme Court have yet to adopt Hindi as an official language, leaving Sharma disappointed.
Sharma also highlighted that under Rule 44 of the Punjab Land Revenue Rules, officials like SDMs and Tehsildars are required to issue judgments in Hindi. Additionally, states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have recognized Hindi in their High Courts with presidential approval under Section 7 of the Official Language Act.
However, despite being a Hindi-speaking state, the Himachal Pradesh government has yet to take similar steps to recognise Hindi in its own High Court.
