Now Reading: NHRC member warns schools against stopping mehndi, rakhis
-
01
NHRC member warns schools against stopping mehndi, rakhis
Priyank Kanoongo, a member of the National Human Rights Commission, has told schools not to stop Hindu children from applying mehndi or tying rakhis during Raksha Bandhan. In a post on X,…
Priyank Kanoongo, a member of the National Human Rights Commission, has told schools not to stop Hindu children from applying mehndi or tying rakhis during Raksha Bandhan. In a post on X, he said both practices are part of Hindu tradition and religious freedom, and warned of action if complaints are received.
Kanoongo said mehndi washes off in two to four days and rakhis can be removed, adding that neither disrupts school discipline or dress codes. He urged school managements not to obstruct children's religious choices and said parents facing such issues can submit complaints through his official contact.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The NHRC member's warning is an advisory, not a binding order, but it signals that schools refusing such practices may face a human rights complaint. India's school dress-code rules are set by individual institutions and state education boards, with no central law on religious adornments. The nearest precedent is the Bombay High Court's 2016 ruling that a hijab is not an essential religious practice, a decision the Supreme Court later split on. Kanoongo's statement shifts the framing from dress-code enforcement to religious freedom, and parents who file complaints will test whether the NHRC can compel a school to change its rules. The NHRC can summon school officials but cannot impose fines or criminal penalties.
Source: indiatoday.in
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
