A local court in the Muslim majority Kishanganj district nearby areas of Bihar, bordering West Bengal, has withdrawn the ban it imposed 10 days ago on men wearing lungi within court premises. This move comes after protests by the local Muslim populace.
After protests erupted in the Northeastern district, district and sessions judge Dr Ratan Kishore Tiwary, in his letters to the two Bar Associations of Kishanganj, said that the order was ‘advisory’ in nature and if they are not interested, they can treat the order as redundant.
The Court’s decision to ban lungis in court premises had met with severe protests by Muslim men and Bar Associations of the area as well.
According to Indian Express, Shah Moazzam, a graduate student from Baigana in Kishanganj said, “People in Kishanganj did not want to be fooled by diktats like those by Yogi Adityanath, who is changing names of places. We are happy that we can continue wearing lungi, which is a part of our cultural identity”, without probably realising that the government had nothing to do with a court order.
It has often been seen that Muslims demand special rules when they become the majority in any area. Kishangang is the only district in Bihar where Muslims outnumber the Hindus, forming a population of 78%. The area is close to the Bangladesh border and India’s largest Muslim-populated area after the Kashmir Valley and Lakshadweep.