Brushing aside the recent controversy created by Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in Maharashtra, the Supreme Court on Friday said every Indian has the right to settle anywhere in the country.
A Bench of Justices H K Sema and Markandey Katju said, "India is not an association or confederation of states, it is a union of states and there is only one nationality that is Indian. Hence every Indian has the right to go anywhere in India, to settle anywhere, and work and do business of his choice in any part of India peacefully." The court upheld the order of the municipal authorities in Gujarat, which banned slaughter of animals during the paryushan festival of Jain community. "It is a short restriction for a few days and surely the non-vegetarians can remain vegetarian for this short period."
"In a multi-cultural country like ours with such diversity, one should not be over-sensitive and over-touchy about a short restriction when it is being done out of respect for the sentiments of a particular society," said the judgment.
The court also deplored the growing tendency of some sections of the people in indulging in violence on issues that they differed on.
Justice Katju observed in the judgment, "These days unfortunately some people seems to be perpetually on the fuse, and are willing to protest, often violently, about anything under the sun on the ground that a book or painting or film has hurt the sentiments of their community."
The apex court said such tendency leading to Balkanisation of the country should be curbed with an iron hand.
"We are one nation and must respect each other and should have tolerance," the Bench said.
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