Kerala government says no hijab with student police cadets uniform

By Team Newsable | First Published Jan 28, 2022, 3:20 PM IST

The government took the firm stand that adding religious symbols to uniforms would be inappropriate.

The Kerala government dismissed the demand of a Muslim girl student that she be allowed to wear hijab (head scarf) along with the uniform of Student Police Cadets (SPC), a volunteer force operated by the state police among the schoolchildren. The state government on Thursday said that it cannot allow students to wear hijab and full sleeves as part of the uniform of Student Police Cadets.

The government took the firm stand that adding religious symbols to uniforms would be inappropriate. It would give the wrong message and similar demands will rise from other such units which should be secular in nature.

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The government was considering a plea filed by Riza Nahan, an eighth standard student of GHSS, Kuttiadi in Kozhikode. The plea was initially filed with the Kerala High Court which redirected it to the government.

The government, after careful examination of the facts, was fully satisfied that the demand of the complainant is not considerable, the order copy said.

The government order also said that if such a waiver is considered in the Student Police Cadet project, similar demands will be made on other similar forces, which will significantly affect the secularism of the state.

Therefore, it is not appropriate to give any indication such that the religious symbols are highlighted in the uniform under the Student Police Cadet project, the order copy stated.

“Combining religious matters with uniforms in the present situation would raise the same demands in other similarly functioning forces, which would question the discipline and secular survival of the forces,” the order issued by the joint secretary of the home department said.

The petitioner, Riza Nahan, a Class VIII student of GHSS, Kuttiyadi, contended that the existing dress code relating to the SPC project is not in accordance with the religious beliefs of the Muslim community and therefore, should be allowed to wear cadet uniforms in accordance with their community customs.

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