Kochi: The high court, coming down heavily on a school manager’s insistence that the headmistress wear a saree instead of a churidar, held that a citizen is free to choose what to wear and nobody can insist that the attire conform to societal customs or dictate what attire is acceptable, especially when there is no law requiring it.
Because she was wearing a churidar, on Feb 4, security personnel denied her entry to the school. Therefore, the school manager cannot interfere with the petitioner’s choice of attire, especially when wearing a churidar is permitted.
The school manager insisted that she wear a saree while coming to school, according to the petitioner. Justice P V Kunhikrishnan issued the significant ruling while disposing of a petition filed by a headmistress of a school in Kottarakkara, Kollam district, seeking police protection to perform her duties without hindrance from the school manager. Later, acting on her complaint, the police helped her enter the school. The petitioner also referred to a circular issued by the director general of education permitting school teachers to wear churidars. She further alleged that the school manager was continuously harassing her. Rejecting the school manager’s stand, the court held that the Constitution does not make a woman’s dignity contingent on her conformity with another person’s preferred mode of attire. Dress is a personal choice. No one can restrict it or dictate which dress an individual must wear. The dignity and cultural tradition of an attire should be decided by the person concerned, not by society. The court also directed the police to provide assistance to the petitioner if needed. Noting that an inquiry was pending against the school manager in the matter, the court also held that the competent authorities were free to take appropriate steps in accordance with law after giving sufficient opportunity of hearing to the petitioner and the manager.