We’re Not Turkey Where Religious Symbols Are Banned In Public: Advocate Kamat

Mumbai: Arguing for the petitioners in the Karnataka Hijab case, advocate Kamat said that the Indian Constitution recognizes all religions, unlike Turkey, where no religious symbol can be displayed in public.

“We are not Turkey, which says no religious symbols can be displayed in public. That hijab ban was upheld by the court due to that. But their Constitution is completely different. Our Constitution recognises different faiths,” Advocate Kamat said.

“Ours is positive secularism. We recognise all religions,” he added.

A three-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice JM Khaji will continue to hear the hijab case. As long as the matter is in court, students are allowed to attend classes without any religious dress.

The petitioners argued that Indian secularism is from a Vedic point of view which recognizes all religions as true and asked the High Court to allow students to wear hijab in addition to the uniform.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka government can bring new guidelines regarding the use of hijab based on the proposal of the High Court.

According to reports, the new guidelines will allow students wearing hijab and burqa to enter schools and then change into uniform.

Some students were asked to remove hijab by school authorities standing outside the school gate. To prevent such situations, the government is likely to come up with a new set of guidelines.

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