SRINAGAR: In a landmark judgment, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has said the use of terms like “Hindu nationalist”, “Muslim nationalist”, “Sikh nationalist” and “Christian nationalist” were abhorrent to the Indian constitution.
The copy of the judgment, delivered a day ago, was made available to the media Friday.
“In our constitutional scheme, a citizen of India is only an ‘Indian’. No person can claim himself to be ‘Hindu nationalist, Muslim nationalist, Sikh nationalist, Buddhist nationalist or Christian nationalist’,” Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar said, while delivering the judgment
“The constitutional provisions, mention of some of which has been made in this order, does, in loud, clear and unambiguous terms, forbid using of such expression/s. A person, who persists in use of such expression/s and in fact, believes in such a thought has to be dealt with and proceeded against in accordance with the mandate contained in the constitution and other laws of the land,” the judgment said.
The judgment came while the court was hearing a petition from Sanjay Tickoo pleading for protection of religious shrines in the Valley that belonged to migrants.
The high court said: “India belongs to “Indians” who constitute one nation. The constitution of India does not recognize “Hindu nationalism, Muslim nationalism, Sikh nationalism, Buddhist nationalism or Christian nationalism”.
