‘Attire is a citizen’s choice’: Kerala HC backs school headmistress over churidar row
The Kerala High Court ruled that a citizen's choice of attire is a personal right, supporting a headmistress who faced opposition from her school manager for wearing a churidar. The court ordered that the manager must not impede the headmistress from performing her duties.
Why it matters
The ruling reinforces individual rights and workplace autonomy against arbitrary dress codes imposed by management without legal backing.
“A citizen’s attire is their choice, and nobody can insist that it conform to society’s customs, especially when there is no law backing it,” the Kerala High Court has observed.
Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan was considering a petition by the headmistress of Eeswara Vilasom High School, Kottarakara, Kollam, seeking to disqualify the school’s manager for allegedly denying her entry into the school for wearing a churidar instead of a sari. She also sought police protection for her remaining tenure at the school.
The court observed that it did not need to direct his disqualification since an inquiry was in progress against the manager. The court directed the Station House Officer, Kottarakara, to ensure that the manager did not impede the petitioner from discharging her duties as the headmistress.
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