Hijab Row: All India Bar Association Writes To PM Modi Urges To Ensure Students Wear Only School Uniform

All India Bar Association (AIBA) on February 10 wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the central government to ensure that all students wear a uniform and forbid Muslim girls from wearing niqab or hijab at secular schools. The Bar Body, in their letter to the PM, claimed that it has also sent a representation to PM Modi stating that numerous anti-social elements are attempting to spoil all the secular values in the educational institutions by misguiding the Muslim students to wear Hijab, Burqa, Niqab, etc., instead of prescribed secular dress code of the educational institutions.

Adish Aggarwala, AIBA Chairman, Senior Advocate, spoke on the matter and stated that nobody should be allowed to use Hijab or Niqab in the educational institutions in the country, and the educational institution's official uniform should be strictly adhered to by the students of secular institutions.

"The citizens of India are entitled to have the right to follow their religious practices in their religious places and not in the secular places where a dress code is prescribed," ANI quoted AIBA as saying.

AIBA's Plea

The AIBA also appealed to all the leaders of different religious organizations and their student wings to exert calm and restraint in these matters without resorting to inflammatory slogans, statements or violent behaviour. These are matters which legally permissible methods must resolve, it added.

Furthermore, the AIBA also stated that in the current matter titled SR Bommai versus Union of India, the Supreme Court of India has held that, "When the State allows citizens to practise and profess their religions, it does not either explicitly or implicitly allow them to introduce religion into non-religious and secular activities of the State." and "freedom and tolerance of religion are only to the extent of permitting pursuit of spiritual life which is different from secular life."

European nations like Italy, Belgium, Bulgaria, Austria, Denmark, Switzerland, France, and the Netherlands have banned full-face veils, Hijab and Burka to uphold secular values, AIBA added.

Karnataka Hijab Row

The entire Hijab protests kickstarted on February 4 at the Government Girls PU College in Udupi district in Karnataka when a few students alleged being banned from classes. During the protests, some students were allegedly denied entry into the college wearing hijab earlier this month.

On February 10, the Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi-led bench, consisting of Justice JM Khazi and Justice Krishna S Dixit, heard petitions by the Muslim students against regulations on wearing hijab. The bench then decided to hear the matter again on Monday, February 14 and instructed students not to wear any religious garments until the issue was pending with the court.

Colleges in Karnataka can reopen, but students cannot be allowed to wear any religious piece until the matter is pending, Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi said. The international recognition of the Karnataka hijab row has now offered rise to the belief of an elaborate 'toolkit' in the making as well.

Also Read: Karnataka Hijab Row: After Malala, Manchester United Footballer Paul Pogba Flags Hijab Protests On Instagram