“For few days we cannot be asked to suspend our faith,” Muslim students after HC’s ‘no religious dress till order’ direction

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed students not to wear “religious clothes” till an order is passed on the matter of whether students should be allowed to cover their heads in hijabs in educational institutions.

“We will pass an order that lets the [educational] institutions start… But till the matter is pending here, no student should insist on wearing religious dress. We will restrain everyone from adopting religious practices while we are hearing…” Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi said.

The interim order is expected soon.

A three-judge bench headed by Awasthi was hearing a plea filed by a group of Muslim women students seeking permission to wear hijabs in educational institutions after they were faced anti-Muslim bias from government college authorities and abuses from Hindutva groups.

Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for the petitioners, objected to the court’s directions, saying that it amounted to the suspension of the petitioners’ rights.

“What your lordships are saying, that would amount to a suspension of Article 25,” Kamat said. “We are told to choose between food and water and both are essential,” he argued.

Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde, also appearing for Muslim girls, told the court that “for few days we cannot be asked to suspend our faith.”

Hegde sought an interim verdict from the court to allow the women to attend classes while wearing hijabs.

The three-judge bench also said it wants the matter to be resolved at the earliest but till that time peace and tranquility are to be maintained.

Over the past few weeks, Hindu students and Hindutva mobs have protested against Muslim women wearing hijabs to college at several places in Karnataka.

On Tuesday, the Karnataka government ordered all high schools and colleges in the state to shut between February 9 and February 11.

Interestingly, earlier during the hearing, the chief justice directed the media not to report on observations made by the judges during arguments without looking at the final order in the case.

“In social media, newspapers or anywhere else, please don’t report unless you go through the order. If some observations from here and there are reported, it will create a different impression,” Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi said.