Closing the Gates to Education: Violations of Rights of Muslim women students
Filed under: Human Rights, Report
Link to the full report:
Revised and updated edition released on: February 4, 2023
Executive Summary – English
Executive Summary – Kannada
Link to the edition of the report released on January 9, 2023:
Press Release – PUCL-Karnataka urges the Karnataka Government to redress the impact of the de facto ban on the hijab in educational institutions on Muslim women’s right to education, dignity and privacy
Filed under: Uncategorized
Kannada Press Release
Impact of Hijab Ban in Karnataka’s Educational Institutions – An Interim Study Report
Filed under: Uncategorized
Download the full report
ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯದ ಹಕ್ಕು ರಕ್ಷಣೆ ಸುಗ್ರೀವಾಜ್ಞೆ – 2022: ಪಿ.ಯು.ಸಿ.ಎಲ್ ತೀವ್ರ ಖಂಡನೆ.
Filed under: Uncategorized
ತಾರೀಕು 17.05.2022 ರಂದು ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಸರ್ಕಾರವು ಒಂದು ಅಸಾಧಾರಣ ಕ್ರಮದ ಮೂಲಕ “ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ
ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರದ ಹಕ್ಕು ರಕ್ಷಣೆ -2022” ಎಂಬ ಸುಗ್ರೀವಾಜ್ಞೆ ಹೊರಡಿಸಿದೆ. ಈ ಸುಗ್ರೀವಾಜ್ಞೆ
ಹೊರಡಿಸಬೇಕಾದ ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶವಾಗಲೀ , ತುರ್ತಾಗಲೀ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಇದು ಭಾರತದ ಸಂವಿಧಾನಕ್ಕೆ ಮಾಡಿದ ಘೋರ
ಅಪಚಾರ. ಇದು ಸಂವಿಧಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಶಾಸಕಾಂಗ, ಕಾರ್ಯಾಂಗ ಮತ್ತು ನ್ಯಾಯಾಂಗಗಳಿಗೆ ವಿಧಿಸಿರುವ ಅಧಿಕಾರ
ವಿಭಜನೆಯ ತತ್ವಗಳ ಅಣಕವಾಗಿದೆ. ಶಾಸಕಾಂಗಕ್ಕೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಶಾಸನ ಮಾಡುವ ಅಧಿಕಾರವನ್ನು ಸಂವಿಧಾನ
ನೀಡಿದೆ. ಕಾರ್ಯಾಂಗಕ್ಕೆ ಈ ಅಧಿಕಾರ ಇಲ್ಲ.
ಈ ತಿದ್ದುಪಡಿ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಭಾರತೀಯರಿಗೆ ಸಂವಿಧಾನ ಖಾತ್ರಿ ಪಡಿಸಿರುವ ಸಂವಿಧಾನಿಕ ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರಗಳ ಮೇಲಿನ
ದಾಳಿಯಾಗಿದೆ. ಇದರಿಂದಾಗಿ ಈವರೆಗೂ ವಿವಿಧ ಧರ್ಮಗಳು ,ನಂಬಿಕೆಗಳ ನಡುವೆ ಇದ್ದ ಶ್ರೀಮಂತವಾದ
ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ ಸಂಬಂಧಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಜಾತ್ಯತೀತ ತತ್ವಗಳಿಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸೌಹಾರ್ದತೆಗೆ ಮಸಿ ಬಳೆದಂತೆ ಆಗಿದೆ.
ಬಸವರಾಜ ಬೊಮ್ಮಾಯಿ ಅವರು ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಯಾಗಿ ಅಧಿಕಾರ ವಹಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಾಗಿನಿಂದ ಅಲ್ಪಸಂಖ್ಯಾತ
ಸಮುದಾಯಗಳು ಭಯ ಮತ್ತು ಅಭದ್ರತೆಗಳಿಂದ ನರಳುತ್ತಿವೆ. ಚರ್ಚುಗಳನ್ನು ಒಡೆಯುವ ಬೆದರಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ಹಿಂದುತ್ವ
ಸಂಘಟನೆಗಳು ನೇರವಾಗಿ ಹಾಕುತ್ತಿವೆ. ಮತೀಯ ಪೊಲೀಸ್ ಗಿರಿ ಹೆಸರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಅಲ್ಪಸಂಖ್ಯಾತರ ಚಲನವಲನಗಳ
ಮೇಲೆ ಹದ್ದಿನ ಕಣ್ಣು ಇರಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಅಜಾನ್ ಮೇಲಿನ ನಿರ್ಭಂದ ,ಮುಸ್ಲಿ೦ ವ್ಯಾಪಾರಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಬಹಿಷ್ಕಾರ, ಹಿಜಾಬ್
ವಿರುದ್ಧ ನಿರ್ಭಂದ, ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ ಕ್ರಮಗಳ ಮೂಲಕ ಮುಸ್ಲಿ೦ ಸಮುದಾಯ ಭಯ ಮತ್ತು ಅಭದ್ರತೆಯಿ೦ದ
ನರಳುವಂತಾಗಿದೆ. ಸಮಾನತೆ, ಬಂಧುತ್ವ, ಘನತೆಯನ್ನು ಎತ್ತಿಹಿಡಿಯುವ, ಭೇದ-ಭಾವವನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪದಿರುವ
ಸಾಂವಿಧಾನಿಕ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಟ ಪರಿಕಲ್ಪನೆಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ದಾಳಿ ಎಸುಗುತ್ತಿರುವ ಹಿಂದೂತ್ವ ಗುಂಪುಗಳ ಚಟುವಟಿಕೆಯನ್ನು
ಗಮನಿಸಿ, ನಿಗ್ರಹಿಸುವ ಕ್ರಮ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವಲ್ಲಿ ಸರ್ಕಾರವು ವಿಫಲವಾಗಿದೆ. ಈ ಪರಿಸ್ಧಿಯತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಜ್ಯಪಲರು
ಹೋರಡಿಸಿರುವ ಸುಗ್ರಿವಾಜ್ಞೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂಪುಟದ ನಿಧಾ೯ರವು ಈ ಪುಂಡರ ಗುಂಪುಗಳಿಗೆ ಸರಕಾರದ ಬೆಂಬಲ ಇದೆ
ಎನ್ನುವುದನ್ನು ಸ್ಪಪ್ಟವಾಗಿಸಿದೆ. ಸಂವಿಧಾನದ ಅನ್ಪಯ ಕನಾ೯ಟಕದ ಮುಖ್ಸಸ್ಧರಾಗಿರುವ ರಾಜ್ಯಪಾಲರು ಮೇಲು
ನೋಟಕ್ಕೇ ಅಸಂವಿಧಾನಿಕ ಎಂದು ಕಾಣುವ (ಮತ್ತು ಮುಂದಿನ ದಿವಸಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾನೂನು ಆಗಿಬಿಡುವ) ಈ
ಸುಗ್ರಿವಾಜ್ಞೆಯನ್ನು ಹೊರಡಿಸಿರುವುದು ಸಂವಿಧನಕ್ಕೆ ಎಸಗಿದ ಅಪಚಾರವಾಗಿದೆ. ಇದು ಸಂವಿಧಾನವಿರೋಧಿ
ನಡೆಯಾಗಿದೆ.
ಈ ಸುಗ್ರಿವಾಜ್ಞೆಯನ್ನು ಹೊರಡಿಸುವ ಮುನ್ನ ರಾಜ್ಯಪಾಲರು , ಅಲ್ಪಸಂಖ್ಯಾತರು ಮೇಲೆ ನಡೆದ ಈ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಹಲ್ಲೆ ,
ದಾಳಿಗಳನ್ನು ಗಮನಕ್ಕೆ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಪೂಣ೯ ವಿಫಲರಾಗಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಇದು ಕಳವಳಕಾರಿಯಾದ
ಸಂಗತಿ.
ಪಿ.ಯು.ಸಿ.ಎಲ್ ತನ್ನ ಇತ್ತಿಚಿನ ವರದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ (CRIMINALISING THE PRACTICE OF FAITH) ಕ್ರೈಸ್ತ ರ
ವಿರುದ್ಧ ನಡೆದ ಈ ರೀತಿಯ 62 ನಿದಿಷ್ಟ ಪ್ರಕರಣಗಳನ್ನು ದಾಖಲಿಸಿದೆ. ಮತಾಂತರ ಎಂಬ ಭಯ ಸೃಷ್ಠಿಸಿ,
ಅದನ್ನು ಮುಂದು ಮಾಡಿ, ಕುಕೃತ್ಯ ನಡೆಸಿರುವುದನ್ನು ಈ ವರದಿ ಅನಾವರಣಗೂಳಿಸಿದೆ. ಈ ಸುಗ್ರಿವಾಜ್ಞೆ
ಹಿಂದೂತ್ವಪಡೆಗಳ ಕಾನೂನು ಬಾಹಿರ ಮತ್ತು ಬಲವಂತದ ಬೆದರಿಕೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಕಾನೂನಿನ ಮಾನ್ಯತೆ
ದೂರಕಿಸಿಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಈ ಸುಗ್ರಿವಾಜ್ಞೆಯಿಂದಾಗಿ, ಅಲ್ಪಸಂಖ್ಯಾತರ ಮೇಲಿನ ಹಲ್ಲೆ ದಾಳಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿದಂತೆ
ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ ಅಪಾಯಕಾರಿಯಾದ ಹೊಸ ಹಂತ ತಲುಪಿದಂತಾಗಿದೆ.
ಆಮಿಷ ಒಡ್ಡಿ ಮತಾ೦ತರ ಮಾಡುವುದನ್ನು ಮತ್ತು ಮದುವೆ ಆಸೆ, ಭರವಸೆ ತೋರಿ
ಮತಾ೦ತರಗೊಳಿಸುವುದನ್ನು ಅಪರಾದೀಕರಣಗೊಳಿಸಿರುವುದು ಮತ್ತು ಮತಾ೦ತರದ ಸುತ್ತ ಇರುವ
ನಿಯಮ-ನಿಬ೯೦ಧಗಳು ಈ ಸುಗ್ರಿವಾಜ್ಞೆಯ ಹೃದಯಭಾಗ(ತಿರುಳು)ವಾಗಿದೆ. “ಕೊಡೂಗೆಗಳು,
ಕೃತಜ್ಞತೆಗಳನ್ನು ನಗದು ರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ನೀಡುವುದು ಅಥವಾ ಸೇವೆಗಳ ರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ನೀಡುವುದನ್ನೂ, ಉದ್ಯೋಗ
ಹಾಗೂ ಉಚಿತ ಶಿಕ್ಷಣವನ್ನು” ಆಮಿಷಗಳ ಪಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಸೇರಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಇದರಿಂದಾಗಿ, ಧರ್ಮಾತೀತವಾಗಿ
ಶಾಲೆಗಳನ್ನು ಮತ್ತು ಉದ್ಯೋಗ ಕೇ೦ದ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ನಡೆಸುವುದನ್ನು ಈಗ ಸುಲಭವಾಗಿ ಮತಾ೦ತರದ
ಉದ್ದೇಶಕಾಗಿ ನಡೆಸಲಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ ಎ೦ದು ಆರೋಪಿಸಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಿದೆ. ಇದರಿಂದ ಕ್ರೈಸ್ತ ಸಂಸ್ದೆಗಳು ನಡೆಸುವ
ಎಲ್ಲ ಧಮ೯ಥ೯ದ ಚಟುವತಟಿಕೆಗಳು ಅಪರಾಧವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಇದು ನಮ್ಮ ಭ್ರಾತೃತ್ವದ ಪರಿಕಲ್ಪನೆಯ
ಮೇಲೆ, ಅದರ ವ್ಯಾಪ್ತಿಯ ಮೇಲೆ ಆಳವಾದ ಪರಿವಾಮ ಬೀರುತದೆ.
ಪ್ರೇಮ ವಿವಾಹಗಳನ್ನು ಅದರಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ವಿಶೇಷವಾಗಿ, ಅಂತರ ಧರ್ಮೀಯ ವಿವಾಹಗಳನ್ನು ಮದುವೆಯ
ಭರವಸೆಯೊಂದಿಗಿನ ಮತಾಂತರ ಎಂಬುದರ ಕೆಳಗೆ ಅಪರಾಧ ಎಂದು ಪರಿಗಣಿಸಬಹುದಾಗಿದೆ. ಇದು
ನಮಗೆ ಬೇಕಾದವರನ್ನು ವಿವಾಹವಾಗುವ ಮತ್ತು ನಮಗೆ ಬೇಕಾದ ಧಮ೯ವನ್ನು ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಮಾಡಿ ಕೊಳ್ಳುವ
ಸಂವಿಧಾನದತ್ತ ಹಕ್ಕನ್ನು ನಿರಾಕರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಇದು ಸಂವಿಧಾನದ ತಿರುಳಿನಂತಹ ಪರಿಕಲ್ಪನೆಯಾಗಿದೆ.
ಈ ಸುಗ್ರೀವಾಜ್ಞೆಯು ಕಾನೂನು ಬಾಹಿರ ಮತಾಂತರದ ವಿರುದ್ದವಿದೆ ಎಂಬ ಮೊಗವಾಡವನ್ನೂ ಇದು ಕಳಚಿಟ್ಟಿದೆ.
ಈಗ ಮತಾಂತರ ಆಗಬೇಕಾದರೆ ಆಡಳಿತಶಾಹಿ ಪೋಲಿಸ್ ನಿರ್ಭಂಧಗಳ ವ್ಯಾಪ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಆಗಬೇಕಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.
ಈ ಸುಗ್ರಿವಾಜ್ಞೆಯ ೮ನೆಯ ನಿಯಮದ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಮತಾಂತರಗೊಳ್ಳುವ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಮತಾಂತರ ಪ್ರಕ್ರಿಯೆ
ನಡೆಸುವ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯು ೩೦ ದಿವಸ ಮೊದಲು ಜಿಲ್ಲಾ ಮ್ಯಾಜಿಸ್ಟ್ರೇಟರಿಗೆ ಅಜಿ೯ ನೀಡಿ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಕೊಡಬೇಕು.
೩೦ ದಿನಗಳ ಮೊದಲೇ ನೋಟೀಸ್ ಕೊಡಬೇಕು ಎಂಬ ಈ ನಿಯಮ ಹಾಗು ಇದರ ವಿವರಗಳನ್ನು
ಸಾವ೯ಜನಿಕವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರದಶಿ೯ಸುವುದು ಸಂವಿಧಾನ ನೀಡಿರುವ ಖಾಸಗೀತನದ ಹಕ್ಕಿನ ಉಲ್ಲಂಘನೆಯಾಗಿದೆ.
ಪುಟ್ಟಸ್ವಾಮಿ Vs. ಭಾರತ ಸರಕಾರ ಮೊಕದ್ದಮೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಪ್ರೀಂಕೋರ್ಟು ಇದನ್ನು ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟಪಡಿಸಿದೆ.
ಧರ್ಮಾಥ೯ ದಾನಗಳು, ಅಂತರಧಮಿ೯ಯ ಪ್ರೇಮ ಮತ್ತು ವಿವಾಹ, ಧಾಮಿ೯ಕ ಹಕ್ಕು – ಇದು ಈ
ಸುಗ್ರೀವಾಜ್ಞೆಯ ಅನ್ವಯ ಅಪರಾಧಗಳು. ಇದನ್ನು ಸಂವಿಧಾನವನ್ನು ನಂಬುವವರೆಲ್ಲರೂ ಪ್ರತಿಭಟಿಸಬೇಕು.
ಇಂದು, ಸಂವಿಧಾನವನ್ನು ನಂಬುವವರು, ನಮ್ಮ ಬದ್ದತೆಯನ್ನು ಗಟ್ಟಿಗೊಳಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು. ಮೂಲ ಭೂತ
ಹಕ್ಕುಗಳಿಗಾಗಿ ಮತ್ತು ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋರಾಡುವ ನಮ್ಮ ನಿಧಾ೯ರವನ್ನು ಬಲಪಡಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು. ತಾರೀಕು
೨೬. ೧. ೧೯೫೦ ರಂದು ನಮಗೆ ನಾವೇ ಅಪಿ೯ಸಿಕೊಂಡ ʼಭಾರತೀಯದ ನಾವು…ʼ ಪರಿಕಲ್ಪನೆಯ
ಸಂವಿಧಾನದ ಹಕ್ಕು ಗಳಿಗೆ ಹೋರಾಡುವುದು ಇಂದಿನ ಅನಿವಾರ್ಯತೆ ಮತ್ತು ಇದನ್ನು ಹೊರತುಪಡಿಸಿ ನಮಗೆ
ಬೇರಾವ ದಾರಿಯಿಲ್ಲ.
ನ್ಯಾಯವಾದಿ ಅರವಿಂದ್ ನಾರಾಯಣ್
ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರು
ಪಿಯುಸಿಎಲ್ – ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ
ನ್ಯಾಯವಾದಿ ರಾಬಿನ್ ಕ್ರಿಷ್ಟೋಫರ್
ಪ್ರಧಾನ ಕಾರ್ಯದರ್ಶಿ
ಪಿಯುಸಿಎಲ್ – ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ
ಶುಜಾಯತುಲ್ಲಾಹ್
ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರು
ಪಿಯುಸಿಎಲ್ – ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು
PUCL CONDEMNS THE PASSING OF THE FREEDOM OF RELIGION ORDINANCE IN KARNATAKA
Filed under: Uncategorized
On the 17th May, 2022, the Governor of Karnataka in an extraordinary move, promulgated The Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Ordinance, 2022. There were no urgent circumstances necessitating the promulgation of the ordinance. The promulgation of this ordinace is a ‘fraud on the Constitution’ and makes a mockery of the theory of separation of powers which mandates that it is the legislature and not the executive who is the law making authority.
The ordinance makes grave inroads into the constitutional freedoms guaranteed to all Indians and will tarnish the secular fabric and rich cultural traditions of communal harmony that exist between faiths. Ever since the coming to power of the Basavaraj Bommai government, the minorities in the state have been reeling under a regime of fear and insecurity with Hindutva groups outrightly threatening to demolish churches, engaging in acts of vigilantism in the name of ‘moral policing’, calls to regulate azan and boycott Muslim businesses and the prohibition of the wearing of the hijab. The Karnataka Government has failed to step in and take action against these Hindutva groups who are outrightly threatening the constitutional ideals of non discrimination, equality, fraternity and dignity.
The cabinet decision to take the ordinance route, in the midst of such circumstances only shows the implicit support of the government to the vigilante elements who blatantly violate the Constitution. The Governor who is the constitutional head of the State has given the go by to the very constitution he has sworn to protect and defend by allowing this prima facie unconstitutional ordinance to become law.
PUCL is deeply distressed, that the Governor has failed to take note of the attacks on minorities before deciding to promulgate the ordinance. In its recent report titled “Criminalising the Practice of Faith”, PUCL had specifically documented sixty two hate crimes perpetrated against the Christians in Karnataka by Hindutva groups. The report exposed the modus operandi of the Hindutva groups using the bogey of conversion to attack minorities. The Governor and the Government have today legitimized the excesses of the vigilantes by promulgating an ordinance which will provide legal cover for the lawless, coercive and threatening actions of the Hindutva groups.
The passing of the ordinance means that Karnataka now enters a dangerous new phrase as far as attacks on minorities are concerned, because today these attacks are legitimized by law. The criminalization of conversion by allurement, conversion by the promise of marriage as well as the regulations around conversion are the unconstitutional heart of an unconstitutional law.
Allurement is defined very broadly to include the offer of ‘gifts or gratification in cash or kind’ as well as ‘employment or free education.’ Philanthropic activities be it the running of schools or vocational centres can easily be tarred as criminal activities being done for the purpose of conversion. This potentially criminalises all charitable activity carried out by Christian institutions with deep repercussions for the Preambular promise of fraternity.
The ordinance also targets love marriages, especially if they are across lines of religion by criminalising conversion with the ‘promise of marriage’. The criminalisation of conversion with the ‘promise of marriage’, violates a core aspect of the constitution, namely the right to marry the person of one’s choice and have the faith of one’s choice.
The ordinance finally drops the pretence that it is only concerned with illegal conversions, by going on to restrict the right to consensually convert and be converted with bureaucratic and police regulations. Under Section 8, the one who desires to convert as well as the one performing the conversion must submit a form to the District Magistrate thirty days in advance.
The requirement of notice for conversion and the public display of details of the one choosing to covert in the office of the District Magistrate is itself a violation of the constitutionally recognized right to privacy which was laid down by nine judges of the Supreme Court in Puttaswamy v Union of India.
This criminalisation of charity, love across lines of religion as well as the freedom of faith in the form of this ordinance is a blatant violation of the constitutional safeguards and must be resisted by all those who believe in the Constitution. Today, we who believe in the Constitution have no option but to stiffen our resolve and re-dedicate ourselves to the fight for the fundamental rights and freedoms which ‘We the people of India’, gave to ourselves on January 26, 1950.
Adv. Arvind Narrain, President
PUCL – Karnataka
Adv. Robin Christopher, General Secretary PUCL – Karnataka
Mr. Shujayathulla, President
PUCL – Bangalore
Sugarcane Harvesting and Bonded Labour – A Report from Belagavi
Filed under: Human Rights, Report
PUCL-K’s open letter to CM & Governor of Karnataka regarding economic boycott of Muslim businesses in temple fairs in Karnataka
Filed under: Human Rights, Minorities, Press Releases
To,
- Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot,
Governor of Karnataka,
Raj Bhavan Road,
Karnataka state – 560001 - Shri. Basavaraj Bommai,
Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka,
Vidhana Soudha,
Bengaluru, Karnataka – 560001
Dear Sir,
Sub: Regarding the dangerous unconstitutional economic boycott of Muslim
businesses in temples fairs in Karnataka.
The PUCL-K is deeply disturbed by the range of media reports for the barring of Muslims
from participating in auctions for the annual festival in Mahanlingeshwara Temple in Puttur
district. The media has reported that this prohibition has been followed by the Hosa Marigud
Temple in Udupi District refusing to allot stalls to Muslims. There are also statements by
Bajrang Dal and Shri Rama Sena leaders calling for the economic boycott of the Muslim
community.
The boycott calls are sought to be given a fig leaf of legitimacy by referring to Rule 31(12) of
the 2002 Rules of the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments
Act, 1997, which state that no property, including land, building or sites situated near the
institution shall be leased out to non-Hindus. However as Senior advocate Chander Uday
Singh pointed out this is a deliberate misinterpretation of the provision as Rule 31 only deals
with long-term leases of immoveable property owned by a temple (up to 30 years for land,
and five years for shops and buildings). It does not deal with the short-term licences which
would be used to allot stalls or spaces to vendors during a festival.
Both economic boycott and calling for economic boycott is violative of the constitutional
promise of non-discrimination enacted in Article 15. Article 15, explicitly prohibits
discrimination on grounds of religion, besides race, caste, sex or place of birth. Article 15(2)
further proclaims that no citizen be subject to any ‘restriction’ with regard to ‘access to
shops’, ‘maintained wholly or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general
public’.
It bears noting that for Babasaheb Ambedkar, ‘shops’ was to be interpreted broadly to
prohibit people from excluding others from economic life through boycotts based on religion,
caste etc. We should also remember that Babasaheb Ambedkar was a vociferous opponent of
social and economic boycotts noting that it was a form of ‘tyranny of the majority’. In his
words, ‘the method of open violence pales before it, for it has the most far reaching and
deadening effect. It is more dangerous because it passes as a lawful method consistent with
the theory of freedom of contract’.
The call for social and economic boycott should deeply worry all Indians is because of the
tragic history of the aftermath of such boycott calls in world history. In Nazi Germany hate
speech dehumanizing the Jewish community was followed by calls for social and economic
boycott which was followed by the enactment of laws depriving Jews of citizenship and
finally the genocide against the Jews. Rwanda and Myanmar followed a similar path in their
path to committing the ‘crime of crimes’, genocide. We should take seriously these warnings
from history and silence is not an option for any constitutional authority. All constitutional
authorities must step in to ensure that governance in Karnataka is in accordance with the
Constitution and we do not go down a path taken by other countries such as Nazi Germany
and Hutu power Rwanda.
Hence, we call upon the following actions to be taken immediately:
- Immediately withdraw the decisions, and ensure that Muslims and persons of all
religious communities are provided an equal space and opportunity to carry out their
businesses during all days of the festivals; - Immediately initiate criminal action against the organizations pressurizing and
attempting to cause an economic boycott of Muslim businesses; - Ensure that immediate measures are taken to restore and maintain communal harmony
across Karnataka as required by the Communal Harmony Guidelines, 2008 issued by
the Ministry of Home Affairs, including keeping organizations that undermine
communal harmony under scrutiny and taking appropriate action against them; - Clarify the statements made by elected representatives erroneously interpreting the
Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1997 to
legitimize the unconstitutional act of discrimination on grounds of religion.
We hope, given the urgency of the situation, that immediate action will be taken.
Adv. Arvind Narrain,
President
PUCL – Karnataka
Adv. Robin Christopher,
General Secretary
PUCL – Karnataka
Mr. Shujayathulla,
President
PUCL – Bangalore
Criminalising the Practise of Faith
Filed under: Communal Violence
A Report by PUCL Karnataka on Hate Crimes against Christians in Karnataka
PUCL condemns the Karnataka Government for abdicating its Constitutional responsibility to protect the right to education of Muslim girls
Filed under: Uncategorized
PUCL is shocked at the continuing inaction on the part of the Karnataka Government and as well as the State Education Department failing to step in and put an end to the needless controversy at PU College in Kundapura around the right of Muslim women to attend college wearing the hijab. By their continued inaction, the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues who have taken an oath to, ‘preserve protect and defend’ the Constitution have abdicated their constitutional responsibility. It bears restating that their constitutional oath is to ensure a secular administration and ensure that their administration does not discriminate against any person on grounds of religion. It behoves the government of Karnataka to act in accordance with constitutional morality and not discriminate against a particularly vulnerable minority, namely young Muslim girls. What is seared on our collective conscience is the image of brave Muslim women asserting their right to dignity in education and the equally shocking image of a school teacher shutting the gates of the college to its own students. The government must take responsibility and act to salvage its tattered image, which in the eyes of the world is that of a schoolyard bully, which stands by and denies girls the right to education rather than protecting and defending their constitutional rights.
The PUCL had in an earlier statement regarding a similar ban action by a Government PU College in Udupi, criticised the arbitrary action by the college authorities as violating fundamental constitutional rights, including the Right to Freedom of Religion (Art 25), the Right to Education (Art 21-A), Right to non-discrimination(Art 15 and Art 29(2)) and the right to dignity. (Article 21)
Even in this case, the same constitutional rights stand violated. The specific action of the PU College management stopping the girl students from entering the classrooms and college violates the right of Muslim girls to access learning without discrimination. Article 15(1) prohibits non-discrimination on the grounds of religion and sex. Article 29(2) specifically prohibits discrimination in state aided educational institutions on grounds of religion. The preventing of women in hijab from accessing education is at heart a discrimination based on religion. As interpreted by the Supreme Court, Article 21 guarantees the right to live with dignity. The prohibition of the use of the hijab violates the right to dignity of the Muslim women students as the dress is an intrinsic part of the expression of their identity as Muslim women. Article 21-A guarantees the right to education, and this prohibition of Muslim women from attending classes violates the right to education. Most importantly, Article 25 gives the freedom to practice, propagate and profess religion, and it is pertinent to note that the hijab is an essential aspect of the Islamic faith. The prohibition of wearing the hijab hits the constitutional guarantee under Article 25.
The other dimension that the women students themselves have exposed is the arbitrary nature of the action by college authorities. The students are reported to say, “We are students, we have been wearing the hijab to college for so long, but it has become an issue only now.” The fact that the hijab has suddenly become an issue only hints at the malafide and unconstitutional nature of the action, obviously undertaken under political pressures the school management was subjected to. The students have a legitimate expectation that they will be allowed to access education without discrimination and not be suddenly and arbitrarily prevented from attending classes that too just two months before the examination. This expectation has been belied.
The PUCL strongly condemns the college authorities’ cruel, heartless, arbitrary and unconstitutional action.
The PUCL demands that:
- The Chief Minister must act quickly and decisively to rescind the decision of the two colleges and allow the students to attend classes as they were doing before a highly improper and unconstitutional action of preventing girl students from accessing education was undertaken.
- An inquiry be undertaken into why the principals of the said colleges took such a sudden, arbitrary and unconstitutional action. Until the investigation is concluded, they must be placed under suspension.
- The Karnataka Government must take adequate measures to strengthen a secular and non discriminatory learning environment within colleges, allowing students to express their faith and identity fully and ensure that such shocking violations do not recur.
- The Human Rights Commission and Minority commission register suo moto complaints against the principal and management of the college for violating fundamental rights of the concerned students.
- The Legal Services Authority must intervene in this matter and provide all legal assistance to the students to protect their constitutional rights
Adv. Arvind Narrain, President, PUCL-K
Adv. Robin Christopher, General Secretary, PUCL-K
From Communal Policing to Hate Crimes – The Attack on Ambedkar’s Dream of Fraternity
Filed under: Communal Violence, Report
A Report on Dakshina Kannada (January – September 2021)
Report by: PUCL-K, AILAJ, AIPF and Gauri Lankesh News