The court said no; not because it’s banned, but because she couldn’t prove it’s *essential* to Islam. That’s the real story here. India’s courts don’t just ask if a rule is fair. They first ask: Is this religious practice *required* by faith? If you can’t prove it with scripture, theology, or history; your claim dies before it’s even heard. This ‘Essential Religious Practice’ (ERP) test has failed 84% of claimants since 1954. Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jain; all have lost. But since 2014, Muslim litigants haven’t won *once*. That’s not coincidence. It’s pattern. The burden isn’t on the school to justify why a hijab disrupts discipline. It’s on the girl to prove her faith demands it. Majority practices; like wearing a school tie, or celebrating Diwali in class; never face this test. They’re just ‘normal’. This isn’t about hijabs. It’s about who gets to define ‘normal’; and who must constantly justify their existence. Constitutional equality isn’t just equal rules. It’s equal burdens. And right now, minorities carry more. The courts may be applying ‘neutrality’. But neutrality, when applied unevenly, becomes discrimination.