HC hauls up journalist for filing PIL on divisive issues

Lambasting a journalist for filing a PIL raising divisive issues like North and South India, the Madras High Court today dismissed his petition objecting to granting of five days holidays for North Indian festivals like Diwali and slapped costs of Rs 20,000 on him.
"There is no North-South divide but for the endeavors of persons like the petitioners who seek to raise divisive issues only to gain publicity and create unrest among the people. It has become necessary for this court to come down with heavy hands on such endeavors," the first bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sathyanarayanan, said.

The court directed petitioner V Anbazhagan, a journalist, to pay the amount to the Mediation Center within 15 days of its order.
The petitioner submitted that till a couple of decades ago the High court granted just one day leave for Diwali and that successive Chief Justices from North India had increased the number of holidays after this festival was 'thrust' on Tamils.
Long holidays would render advocates jobless, he said.
Slamming the petitioner for the contents as well as attitude displayed in the PIL, the bench said the Court's calendar was prepared after a lot of deliberations, including discussions with representatives of advocates.

"Whether advocates are rendered jobless or not is not the concern of the PIL- petitioner as advocates and their representatives are consulted during the framing of the calendar. It need not be the concern of all and sundry who want to gain public importance through such means. We strongly condemn the motive for filing this petition. It seeks to raise divisive issue of mythological nature."
The bench observed India is a vast country with various cultures, languages and food habits, which is something the nation should be proud of.
"All these cultures combined together form the nation of India. It is something to be celebrated. It should not segregate the country into two parts by raising divisive issues, as the petitioner seeks to do.