Karnataka (The Stellar News) Salsham Kalia: Karnataka High Court on Friday while hearing a petition by six students against Hijab restrictions asked all the students to avoid wearing the Hijab, saffron shawls or any religious clothing in class “Until next orders”. The order is only for the colleges that have specified a uniform or dress code.
“We request the State Government and all other stakeholders to reopen the educational institutions and allow the students to return to the classes at the earliest. Pending consideration of all these petitions, we restrain all the students regardless of their religion or faith from wearing saffron shawls (Bhagwa), scarfs, hijab, religious flags or the like within the classroom, until further orders,” said the bench headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi.
“It hardly needs to be mentioned that ours is a country of plural cultures, religions and languages. Being a secular state, it does not identify itself with any religion as its own. Every citizen has the right to profess and practise any faith of choice, is true. However, such a right not being absolute is susceptible to reasonable restrictions as provided by the Constitution of India. Whether wearing of hijab in the classroom is a part of essential religious practice of Islam in the light of constitutional guarantees, needs a deeper examination,” said the order.
“Ours being a civilized society, no person in the name of religion, culture or the like can be permitted to do any act that disturbs public peace and tranquillity. Endless agitations and closure of educational institutions indefinitely are not happy things to happen.”
