Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court on Tuesday appealed student community and the public at large to maintain peace and tranquillity while hearing various pleas challenging a ban on hijab in the state.
The HC’s appeal came after the Advocate General apprised the court that there are some parallel agitations.
Advocate General urged the High Court to issue an interim order that there should be no public protests or demonstrations.
Appearing for petitioners, Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat, also apprised the Court about a video where a girl in hijab was being chased by boys. He also said that it agreed with Advocate General that law and order should be maintained and assured that as far as petitioners are concerned, they will not hold any protests on the streets.
Advocate General said that since the court is already ceased the matter, the law should not be taken in hand by anyone.
The Court said that it requests the student community and the public at large to maintain peace and tranquillity. “This Court has full faith in the wisdom and virtue of public at large and it hopes that the same would be put to practice,” the Court said.
Thereafter, the Court posted the matter for further hearing for tomorrow.
During the course of the hearing, the petitioner advocate told the Court that wearing a headscarf is an essential part of Muslim culture.
He also sought interim relief by allowing the students to attend classes for now considering that exams are approaching.
Senior Advocate Kamat, while advancing his arguments cited various judgments and also apprised the Court about some countries following the concept of “negative secularism” which does not permit the display of religious identity in public.
Kamat said, “India practice positive secularism, where every religion is being respected.”
He also claimed that the government order is beyond the jurisdiction of the state.
At the beginning of the hearing, the Court said that it will go by reason, by law, not by passion or emotions. “We will go by what Constitution says. Constitution is the Bhagavad Gita for me,” the Court said.
The Court was hearing various pleas challenging the Karnataka government order prohibiting hijab in education institutes.
The Karnataka education department on Saturday issued a directive that all the government schools should follow the uniform dress code announced by the state government.
“All government schools should follow the uniform dress code, declared by the state government. Students from private institutions should follow the dress decided by the school management,” Karnataka Education Department said.
The department said if there is no dress code for colleges under the Department of Pre-University, one can wear the dress which will not affect equality, integrity, and law and order.
On February 4, students wearing hijabs were allegedly denied entry into a government college in the Kundapur area of Udupi in Karnataka, amid a row on wearing the headscarf in classrooms.
In a similar incident in the state, students at a Chikkamagaluru college wore saffron shawls to mark their protest against girls wearing hijabs on campus. On Tuesday, many students also staged a dharna over the same. The cops then entered the college premises and brought the situation under control.
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