A video of Supreme Court Justice B. V. Nagarathna’s remarks from last December is now going viral online. In her speech, she said English serves as a link language connecting the southern states with the rest of India, and no state should be isolated simply because it does not know Hindi.
She made these comments on December 3, 2025, while speaking at the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) discussion titled “Women Empowerment in Law: Strength, Struggle and Success.” The discussion on language began when a woman lawyer raised a question about opportunities in the judiciary for those who are proficient in regional languages but not in English.
Responding to the query, Justice Nagarathna said India is a country of many languages and cultures, and imposing a single language would not be the right approach. She explained that while district courts function in local languages, constitutional courts such as the High Courts and the Supreme Court use English as the working language.
She further noted that English acts as a neutral link language, which helps in the transfer of judges between states and ensures the smooth functioning of the judiciary across the country. “South Indians do not want to be isolated because they do not know Hindi; there must be a balance in language matters,” Justice Nagarathna emphasized.
Her remarks have once again sparked discussions about linguistic rights and equality among Indian states, and the clip is now being widely shared online by those advocating for state language rights.
