Lawyers who practice at the Madras High court in India's Tamil Nadu state are on an indefinite hunger strike. They’re demanding Tamil to be used as the official court language, instead of English.

The hunger strike began on Thursday inside the high court in Chennai.

[P. Sesubalan Raja, Senior Advocate, Madras High Court]:
"We lawyers are observing the fast until to death reminding the Tamil Nadu government to get President assent for the resolution which was adopted four years back to declare Tamil as the official language of the Madras High Court. For the past four years the government has not taken any step to get the President's assent. It is our grievance.”

The lawyers are also demanding the federal government make a decision ahead of the World Classical Tamil Conference which will be held next week in Coimbatore.