The recent controversy that stirred up in India was the Hijab row. Though the Karnataka High Court has made it very clear, that Hijab is not an essential practice in Islam, hence should not be prioritized over the school uniform. The bleeding hearts for hijab have dragged Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in the matter.
Read More- Hijab is not an essential practice of Islam : Karnataka High Court
The Hijab Row and Karnataka High Court’s ruling
Since December last year, there has been a constant debate on the ‘Hijab Issue’. The matter rose up to the newspaper headlines when girls wearing headscarves were asked to remove it in the classroom.
The Hijab controversy found grounds in Karnataka after a college in Udupi issued guidelines prescribing a uniform dress code. Six students became lead petitioners in the matter and took it to the court.
The issue heated another debate over the religious rights and freedom of choice. The matter reached the Karnataka High Court and was settled in the favor of the state government and educational institutions that prohibited hijab in classrooms.
Naive attempt to drag Ambedkar in Hijab row
The petitioners however were not so satisfied by the decision and claimed that they were let down by the court. “We live in a secular country where we are allowed to follow the religion of our choice. We are shocked by the order,” said Aliya Assadi, a student leader.
Read More- Hijab movement is not cultural Islam but political Islam, and the government must deal with it accordingly
The debate was around the constitutional rights and guarantees, another student Hazra Shifa dragged Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in it. Hazra Shifa said, “Dr. B.R. Ambedkar once said that the constitution is the best, but it will depend on the persons who run it. We were expecting so much from our constitution and country. If today Dr. B.R. Ambedkar were alive, he will literally cry.”
It has become a very common trend in today’s India to cry for the rights that are guaranteed by the constitution. Though little, or no heed is paid to the duties. It’s a long debate, so let’s leave it for some other day, today let’s find out was Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the man who carved out our constitution was really an advocate of hijab or other religious practices, or the attempt to link Ambedkar with hijab was just an attempt to sound like an intellectual.
Citing Ambedkar, an attempt to gain political brownie points
While the supporters of burqa, hijab and other purdahs are referring to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, it is important to note that it is a dishonest attempt to establish validity to their demands.
Read More- Brace yourselves – The Uniform Civil Code is finally coming
It should be taken into conscious that Babasaheb was a staunch opponent of veil. India’s first law minister opposed the Islamic practice of purdah and said watching Muslim women wearing burqas is one of the hideous sights one can witness.
He believed that the segregation of Muslim women is a consequence of the Purdah System. He also wrote extensively about deteriorating effects of purdah upon the health of Muslim women. Ambedkar claimed that Muslim women are victims of anemia, tuberculosis, pyorrhea, protrusion of bones and heart palpitations. Ambedkar also sought purdah among Muslim women as a cause of moral degradation and deprives Muslim women of mental and moral nourishment.
Ambedkar must be in tears for non-implementation of UCC
Not to mention, Ambedkar advocated for Uniform Civil Code. And the prime factor why Ambedkar must be in tears for non implementation of Uniform Civil Code.
Even after almost 75 years of Independence, India still has segregated civil laws for different laws and UCC is need of the hour. In fact, the Allahabad High Court has highlighted that UCC is mandatory in 2021.
The naysayers may make it sound like UCC is BJP’s political agenda, but the facts is that it has been laid down in the constitution. UCC is the only way to ensure equality among all religions and this is the reason Ambedkar emphasized on its implementation and he believed that the absence of a UCC would hinder the government’s attempts at social reforms.
Hence, before quoting Ambedkar to sound like an intellectual and score political brownie points, a lesson in history is needed for these ‘fighters’ pleading for hijab in school.