Outrageous behaviour

Publishing date: 18 December 2025

Published in: DAWN

MANY Muslim women in India are forced to confront misogyny as well as religious discrimination. And when the perpetrators of hatred are high officials — with their vile acts taking place in public settings, with the cameras rolling — one can imagine what Muslim women in India’s bazaars, workplaces and educational institutions have to put up with. A clip has recently gone viral in which Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is seen pulling away the niqab from the face of a Muslim doctor at a ceremony in Patna. Not only was this repulsive action an invasion of the woman’s personal space, it also shows that in today’s India, the public humiliation of Muslims has become acceptable. The Bihar CM has been accused of inappropriate behaviour towards women before, while his mental health has also been questioned. It is unclear if Mr Kumar’s bizarre actions were the result of compromised judgement, or if he felt he could get away with humiliating a Muslim woman.

Sadly, as the forces of Hindutva have launched their crusade to remake India in their image, the persecution of Muslim women remains high. For example, in 2022, a Muslim student was confronted in Karnataka by a mob of male zealots shouting Hindutva slogans outside her educational institution. The young woman had bravely confronted the extremist mob. Those Muslim women who choose to wear hijab or niqab are even more visible targets for violent obscurantists. It is one thing when hoodlums harass Muslim women; but when elected officials ostensibly target women for their way of dress or their faith, it sends the message that Muslim women are ‘fair game’. And when misogyny and communal hatred come together, the result is absolutely toxic. The correct thing to do would be for the Bihar CM to either apologise or quit, while the Indian state should clarify whether Indian Muslims — men and women — have a right to dignity, or if they should consider themselves second-class citizens.