IIOJK court helpless as BSF Muslim soldier forced to retire for maintaining beard
Srinagar: The case of a Muslim Border Security Force (BSF) soldier, who was forced into retirement after permission to maintain a beard was denied, has raised concerns over discrimination against religious symbols within India’s armed forces.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the IIOK High Court on September 30 dismissed a petition filed by BSF soldier Khursheed Ahmad Khan.
Khan had been granted permission on January 6, 2018, to maintain a neatly trimmed beard.
On June 16, 2023, the force alleged that he was found with a long beard and had refused to trim it, following which the permission was withdrawn.
Khan maintained that the sudden withdrawal of permission to keep his beard, a visible religious symbol for Muslim men, prompted him to seek retirement. His application was accepted on the same day. He subsequently sought withdrawal of his retirement request, but the request was rejected.
The former BSF jawan later alleged that the withdrawal of permission was vindictive and that he had been compelled to seek retirement. He also approached the BSF Director General in July 2024, seeking redressal of his grievances.
The High Court did not adjudicate whether the withdrawal of permission to maintain the beard was legally justified or whether Khan had actually been compelled to seek retirement. Instead, Justice Rajnesh Oswal held that the petition had been filed before a court lacking territorial jurisdiction.
The case nevertheless highlights questions about the treatment of religious symbols of Muslim personnel in India’s institutions, particularly where a beard permitted for years becomes the basis of an employment dispute.
