The Indecency of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
Safdar Hamdani
During Narendra Modi’s tenure, it has become increasingly difficult for Muslim women in India to wear the hijab.
A recent incident reflecting anti-Muslim hostility and narrow-mindedness took place in Patna, the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, where Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar—an ally of the BJP—pulled off the veil of a Muslim woman doctor during an official ceremony.
According to Indian media reports, the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy), which oversees traditional and indigenous systems of medicine, had organized a ceremony to distribute appointment letters to AYUSH doctors. At this event, the Chief Minister of Bihar was personally handing over appointment letters to the doctors.
When it was the turn of a Muslim woman, Nusrat Parveen, who had her face covered with a veil and was dressed in a full burqa, Nitish Kumar, while handing over the appointment letter, expressed displeasure, asked, “What is this?” and then pulled her veil. At that moment, the Deputy Chief Minister, Samrat Choudhary, who was present on the stage, attempted to stop him.
The hallmark of civilized societies is that state authority serves as a protector of public dignity, not as a means of violating it. But when scenes emerge from the halls of power that trample upon human dignity, women’s sanctity, and constitutional values, the issue does not remain confined to a single individual or incident; the entire ideological system stands trial. The forcible removal of a woman’s veil by a Chief Minister in India falls squarely into this category—this is not merely bad manners, but a manifestation of an unrestrained and arrogant exercise of power.
The choice of wearing a veil, hijab, or any form of clothing is a fundamental right of the individual. This right is intrinsically linked to religious freedom, personal dignity, and constitutional guarantees. When an elected official—especially one holding the office of Chief Minister—publicly violates this right, the message is unmistakable: power considers itself above the law. Such conduct grants state patronage to social prejudice against women and spreads a sense of insecurity throughout society.
This incident also exposes the reality that discrimination against minorities in India, particularly Muslim women, is no longer confined to social attitudes alone but is, at times, becoming normalized at the governmental level. Turning a woman’s clothing into a political battleground, making her identity a public spectacle, and humiliating her in the name of “reform” is, in fact, a negation of democratic values. If women’s freedom is genuinely desired, it must begin with respect for their choices—not with coercion.
International human rights conventions, to which India is a signatory, clearly guarantee religious freedom and personal dignity. The question is whether these documents have been reduced to mere formalities, or whether, intoxicated by power, it has become acceptable to cast aside both law and morality.
Silence over this incident is as dangerous as the act itself. Civil society, the judiciary, and the media bear the responsibility to hold such behavior to strict account. If today a woman’s veil can be torn away, tomorrow someone else’s identity—someone else’s rights—may become the target.
The true test of state power lies in protecting the vulnerable, not in humiliating them. If India truly wishes to be known as the world’s largest democracy, it must demonstrate real accountability over such incidents, not merely issue statements. History bears witness that when dignity is violated, democracy remains democracy in name only.
