Lift veil for voter ID, Indian Supreme Court tells burqa-clad women
Make sense to me because Before voting, electors must prove their identity and residential address by providing one piece of government-issued Voter’s PHOTO IDENTIFICATION showing their name and residential address. So if we allow Veiled voting system the entire process of checking the genuinely of voters will fall and it won’t make any sense of having or issuing Voter Identity cards.
Via Times of India
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has said that burqa-clad women cannot be issued voter identity cards, rejecting the argument that religion prohibits them from lifting their veils.
Counsel for petitioner M Ajam Khan had contended that asking `purdah-nashin’ women to lift their veil for being photographed would amount to sacrilege as their photographs would be seen by many men working as polling agents and electoral officials.
“It will hurt their religious sentiments and the Election Commission must not insist on `purdah-nashin’ women to be photographed for inclusion of their name in the electoral rolls,” said the counsel arguing before a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice Deepak Verma.
The order comes at a time when a controversy triggered by the ban on full-length burqas has roiled France, attracting protests from clerics.
The argument put forward on behalf of petitioners failed to impress the court. The Bench said: “If you have such strong religious sentiments, and do not want to be seen by members of public, then do not go to vote. You cannot go with burqa to vote. It will create complications in identification of voters.”
Referring to the Madras High Court order upholding the EC’s insistence for a photograph without veils, the Bench said that the elections have been conducted without staying the HC order and that those who do not comply with rules on voter identification not be allowed to vote.
Appearing for the EC, counsel Meenakshi Arora said though electoral rolls were being prepared as per the judgment of the HC, it would be better if the SC gave a verdict that would help reach a closure on the issue.
When the petitioners again insisted on protection of religious sentiments, the Bench said: “The photograph is for identification of a voter. If someone comes to vote in a burqa and the photograph was also taken with veil covering the face, how would anyone identify the voter?” Read More
So for me India is a Free society and Free society is about give and take of “rights”. Obligations go with rights. It’s a high time for Muslims to start giving a little and start respecting our secular and free society, and for US as a Indian citizens it’s time for us too, to revert them same with all respect and dignity. And in the end for Muslim women to start taking a little… dignity and freedom. Don’t be afraid to show your face with pride and dignity.
