In the Court Room, he argues in Sanskrit

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In the Court Room, he argues in Sanskrit

 

Acharya Shyam Upadhyaya was honoured this year (2003) with

a `Samskrita Mitra' award by the Human Resources Development

Ministry, Government of India. He is an advocate who practises in the

courts in Kashi – in Samskritam – for over twenty years now. The

Acharya renders the atmosphere in the courtroom fully Sanskritised in

no time. He manages all the proceedings of the cases for which he

appears in Samskritam. If the magistrate or the other party has any

difficulty with any of his Samskrit words, the Acharya comes up with

the etymology and also makes his sentences as small as possible till

the court comprehends his argument. The magistrate's chamber is

invariably crowded with eager advocates whenever he expounds his case

in Samskritam. He was moved immensely when the judgement in the very

first case he fought in Samskritam went in his client's favour. That

was in the year 1976. The Acharya says it was the yearning of his

father, also an advocate, that cases should be argued in Samskritam

as well. Whatever case he argues now is only in Samskritam, even if

it were in the Supreme Court. The Acharya is now busy training the

nearly 1,000 advocates attached to the Kashi courts to affix their

signatures in Samskritam. The target he has set for the next 5 years

is to train 10,000 advocates in the courts in Uttaranchal to sign in

Samskritam. On Samskrit Day every year, he oganises a Samskrit

program in the court precincts.

 

Rashtradev, Bareili