Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Split over hijab: On the Supreme Court verdict

Split over hijab: On the Supreme Court verdict

The Supreme Court of India’s verdict on the head-scarf case should not lead to (result in, cause, bring on, bring about, give rise to) denial of education rights

A two-judge Bench (a court of law with a number of judges) of the Supreme Court has been unable to resolve the conflict (टकराव, विवाद, कलह) between a girl student’s freedom to wear a head-scarf and the state’s (राज्य, सरकार, प्रशासन) interest (रुचि, दिलचस्पी) in keeping schools a place of equality (समानता, गैर-भेदभाव) and secularism (धर्मनिरपेक्षता). It is unfortunate that a clear verdict did not emerge from the elaborate (विस्तृत, विस्तार में बताना, जटिल) arguments advanced (प्रस्तुत करना, प्रस्ताव देना) before the Court for and against the Karnataka government’s bar (ban, prohibition, stoppage) on the wearing of the hijab (a head covering, generally a veil or a scarf, worn in public by some Muslim women). The split verdict perhaps (शायद, संभवतः) reflects (प्रतिबिंबित होना, इंगित करना, दिखाना) the division in the wider society on issues concerning secularism and the minorities. Justice Hemant Gupta, rejecting the idea that hijab could be worn in addition to the uniform, has held that permitting one community to wear religious symbols to class will be the antithesis (opposite, reverse, inverse, contrary) of secularism. Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, on the other hand (वहीं दूसरी ओर), has ruled that asking to remove the head-scarf at an institution’s gates is an invasion (violation, breach, intrusion, infringement, disruption; attack, offensive, onslaught, incursion, assault) of their privacy and dignity (गौरव, स्वाभिमान). The issue is why a head-scarf that does not interfere with the uniform cannot be a matter of choice without being a target of hostile (opposed, averse, antagonistic, ill-disposed, unsympathetic, inimical) discrimination (भेदभाव, पूर्वाग्रह); and whether the hijab is going to be used to deny girl students their right to education. Justice Dhulia represents this viewpoint when he asserts (जोर देकर कहना, दृढ़तापूर्वक कहना) that discipline should not be at the cost of (की कीमत पर) freedom, when he wonders why a girl child wearing a hijab should be a public order (सार्वजनिक व्यवस्था) problem and declares that ‘reasonable accommodation (adjustment, adaptation, attunement)’ of this practice will be a sign of a mature society. He also empathises (understand, relate to, feel for, have insight into, sympathize) with the position of girl students who have to overcome (to become successful in spite of not having a good chance) greater odds than boys to get an education.

Justice Gupta, on the other hand, has foregrounded (bring/call/draw attention to, highlight, underline, underscore) equality and discipline as the essential hallmarks (distinctive feature, characteristic, trait, attribute, quality) of a secular (non-religious) institution in a diverse (relating to existence/presence of different people (from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives ranging from race to age to gender to hometown to educational experience) within group) country, and rules that the Government violates (contravene, breach, infringe, break, disobey, defy, flout) no constitutional (relating to the Constitution; ; legal, legitimate, lawful) principle when enforcing (apply, implement, impose, force, exact, inflict) a prescribed (determined, fixed, established, formulated, pronounced, required, stipulated) uniform. He goes to the extent of saying the constitutional goal of fraternity (brotherhood, fellowship, kinship, friendship, companionship, support, mutual support, solidarity, community, union, togetherness) would be defeated if students are permitted to carry their apparent (obvious, evident, visible, noticeable) religious symbols with them to the classroom. The split verdict has given rise to the question of whether matters on which opinions could be sharply divided and have significant political implications (consequence/outcome, ramification, repercussion) should be placed before Division Benches (A bench of two or three judges is called a division bench) of even number. In the prevailing political climate (existing atmosphere, trend, mood, feeling, attitude), the Karnataka government mandating (order, command, instruct, make mandatory) either a prescribed uniform or any dress that was “in the interest of (for the benefit/advantage of) unity, equality and public order” was seen as majoritarian (relating to a philosophy that states that a majority (sometimes categorized by religion, language, social class, or some other identifying factor) of the population is entitled to a certain degree of primacy (priority) in society, and has the right to make decisions that affect the society) assertion (declaration, statement, affirmation, contention, opinion, insistence) in the garb (an outward appearance, form, guise) of enforcing secular norms (standard, convention, criterion, regulation), equality and discipline in educational institutions. A verdict that legitimises (validate, legitimate, justify) this non-inclusive (not inclusive; excluding something/someone) approach to education and a policy that may lead to denial of opportunity to Muslim women will not be in the country’s interest. Reasonable accommodation should be the course (way, path, direction; course of action, plan (of action), approach, practice) as long as the hijab or any wear, religious or otherwise, does not detract (reduce the worth or value of something; devalue, take away from, lessen, minimize) from the uniform.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.conflict (noun)

Hindi Meaning - टकराव, विवाद, कलह
English Meaning - dispute, quarrel, squabble, difference of opinion.

2.the state (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राज्य, सरकार, प्रशासन
English Meaning - the government, the administration, the regime, the authorities, the Establishment.

3.interest (noun)

Hindi Meaning - रुचि, दिलचस्पी
English Meaning - common concerns (in politics/business).

4.equality (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समानता, गैर-भेदभाव
English Meaning - equal rights, equal opportunities, non-discrimination.

5.secularism (noun)

Hindi Meaning - धर्मनिरपेक्षता
English Meaning - the belief that religion should not have a strong influence in education or other public parts of society.

6.elaborate (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विस्तृत, विस्तार में बताना, जटिल
English Meaning - detailed, complicated, intricate, complex.

7.advance (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रस्तुत करना, प्रस्ताव देना
English Meaning - put forward, submit, present, propose.

8.perhaps (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - शायद, संभवतः
English Meaning - maybe, possibly.

9.reflect (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिबिंबित होना, इंगित करना, दिखाना
English Meaning - indicate, show, display, demonstrate, reveal.

10.on the other hand (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - वहीं दूसरी ओर
English Meaning - as an alternative, as another option.

11.dignity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गौरव, स्वाभिमान
English Meaning - self-esteem, self-respect, morale.

12.discrimination (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भेदभाव, पूर्वाग्रह
English Meaning - prejudice, bias/bigotry, intolerance/inequity.

13.assert (verb)

Hindi Meaning - जोर देकर कहना, दृढ़तापूर्वक कहना
English Meaning - state confidently/strongly; uphold, contend, insist on.

14.at the cost of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - की कीमत पर
English Meaning - by sacrificing/losing/giving up something.

15.public order (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सार्वजनिक व्यवस्था
English Meaning - it is essentially the absence of disorder - the quiet and orderly behaviour of people in public space. It involves people behaving sensibly and rationally, and respecting others.

16.bar (noun)

English Meaning - ban, prohibition, stoppage.

17.split over (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - disagree with someone or something; oppose.

18.hijab (noun)

English Meaning - a head covering, generally a veil or a scarf, worn in public by some Muslim women.

19.lead to (verb)

English Meaning - result in, cause, bring on, bring about, give rise to.

20.bench (noun)

English Meaning - a court of law with a number of judges.

21.hold (verb)

English Meaning - give (a verdict/judgement).

22.antithesis (noun)

English Meaning - opposite, reverse, inverse, contrary.

23.invasion (noun)

English Meaning - violation, breach, intrusion, infringement, disruption; attack, offensive, onslaught, incursion, assault.

24.hostile (adjective)

English Meaning - opposed, averse, antagonistic, ill-disposed, unsympathetic, inimical.

25.accommodation (noun)

English Meaning - adjustment, adaptation, attunement.

26.empathise (verb)

English Meaning - understand, relate to, feel for, have insight into, sympathize.

27.overcome/beat the odds (phrase)

English Meaning - to become successful in spite of not having a good chance.

28.foreground (verb)

English Meaning - bring/call/draw attention to, highlight, underline, underscore.

29.hallmark (noun)

English Meaning - distinctive feature, characteristic, trait, attribute, quality.

30.secular (adjective)

English Meaning - non-religious.

31.diverse (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to existence/presence of different people (from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives ranging from race to age to gender to hometown to educational experience) within group.

32.violate (verb)

English Meaning - contravene, breach, infringe, break, disobey, defy, flout.

33.constitutional (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the Constitution; ; legal, legitimate, lawful.

34.enforce (verb)

English Meaning - apply, implement, impose, force, exact, inflict.

35.prescribed (adjective)

English Meaning - determined, fixed, established, formulated, pronounced, required, stipulated.

36.fraternity (noun)

English Meaning - brotherhood, fellowship, kinship, friendship, companionship, support, mutual support, solidarity, community, union, togetherness.

37.apparent (adjective)

English Meaning - obvious, evident, visible, noticeable.

38.give rise to (phrase)

English Meaning - result in, cause, bring on, bring about, lead to.

39.implications (noun)

English Meaning - consequence/outcome, ramification, repercussion.

40.Division Bench (noun)

English Meaning - A bench of two or three judges is called a division bench.

41.Constitution Bench (noun)

English Meaning - a bench of the Supreme Court having five or more judges on it. These benches are not a routine phenomenon. Constitution Benches are exceptions, set up only if some circumstances exist).

42.prevailing (adjective)

English Meaning - existing, current, present.

43.climate (noun)

English Meaning - existing atmosphere, trend, mood, feeling, attitude.

44.mandate (verb)

English Meaning - order, command, instruct, make mandatory.

45.in the interest of (phrase)

English Meaning - for the benefit/advantage of.

46.majoritarian (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a philosophy that states that a majority (sometimes categorized by religion, language, social class, or some other identifying factor) of the population is entitled to a certain degree of primacy (priority) in society, and has the right to make decisions that affect the society.

47.assertion (noun)

English Meaning - declaration, statement, affirmation, contention, opinion, insistence.

48.garb (noun)

English Meaning - an outward appearance, form, guise.

49.norm (noun)

English Meaning - standard, convention, criterion, regulation.

50.legitimise (verb)

English Meaning - validate, legitimate, justify.

51.non-inclusive (adjective)

English Meaning - not inclusive; excluding something/someone.

52.course (noun)

English Meaning - way, path, direction; course of action, plan (of action), approach, practice.