For the past few days, there has been an unexpected and unprecedented uptick in the views on the Karnataka High Court’s YouTube channel. Since February 14, every afternoon the Karnataka High Court has been hearing pleas against the hijab ban in high schools and colleges in the state. The hearings begin at 2.30 pm and go on till around 5 pm. The Karnataka High Court is among the very few High Courts in the country that live-streams its proceedings, and an unusual outcome is that thousands of people have been tuning in for the daily hearings, in what has turned into a national issue.
While most live-streamed court proceedings typically see a handful of attendees, many of them from the press, the hijab row is unexpectedly garnering lakhs of views from bystanders interested in the case.
At any given point in time during the course of the hearing, at least 10,000 to 20,000 people are watching the proceedings on the live stream. The number only increases after news reports on submissions and quotes from the hearing are shared on social media. While the live stream videos of other general hearings have about 3,000 to 4,000 views, the hijab case hearings have a minimum of 1 lakh and a maximum of 4 lakh total views.
Many took to social media to appreciate the live streaming of proceedings, adding that it provides insight into how courts function.
Around 16,000 people watching the Hijab Ban hearing. Live streaming of proceedings does make a difference.
— Areeb Uddin (@Areebuddin14) February 15, 2022
I hope other courts including the Supreme Court of India should consider doing the same.#HijabRow pic.twitter.com/H47sna8nNP
I'm so happy that Karnataka High Court is amongst the few Courts to live stream its proceedings. So many citizens can watch the #HijabBan case proceedings.
— Swapnil V. Tripathi (@S_Tripathi07) February 10, 2022
Watching live Karnataka high court hearing on #hijab @LiveLawIndia pic.twitter.com/NEj7RiooYo
— وسیم waseem (@Erahmadwaseem) February 16, 2022
The Karnataka High Court must be applauded for making sure its proceedings, especially for a matter as important as the #HijabBan matter, are being livestreamed.
— Vakasha Sachdev (@VakashaS) February 10, 2022
ANYONE can watch here:https://t.co/A7OUqO8h06
The case is also getting unprecedented views as the hijab row has snowballed into a national issue. A full bench of the Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice K Dixit and Justice JM Khazi is hearing a batch of petitions against the ban on hijabs, to address whether wearing the hijab is a fundamental right and whether it’s an essential religious practice.
The hijab row started at the end of December 2021 when a few students wearing the hijab were barred from a government pre-university college in Udupi. The hijab-wearing students protested against this and to counter this, some Hindu students in colleges in Kundapura started coming to their institutions wearing saffron scarves. The saffron protests spread to other parts of the state. The Karnataka government then banned both hijabs and saffron scarves and said that till an expert committee decides on the issue, all students must adhere to the uniform.
Hearing pleas against this government order, the Karnataka High Court bench had issued an interim order restraining students from wearing any kind of religious clothing, be it headscarves or saffron shawls, to high schools and colleges till the case is being heard in court. However, the HC said that this applies only to those institutions that have a dress code that disallows the hijab.