The southern Indian state of Karnataka is seeing a deepening hijab row, with Indian media reporting the second incident in recent weeks of Muslim students being denied admission to its educational institution for wearing headscarves.
According to Hindustan Times, there were 27 students restricted From entering a government-run pre-university college – which is the equivalent of a high school – on Thursday to wear the hijab in the coastal town of Kundapur in Karnataka’s Udupi district.
A video of the incident was widely shared on social media.
The report said the decision to not allow hijab-wearing students was taken after more than 100 students wore saffron shawls – the color is seen as a Hindu symbol – and attended Bhandarkar College on Wednesday. Protested against Muslim female students wearing hijab.
“When the principal asked the students to remove their hijab and attend classes, an argument was made with the students that there is no government order banning hijab in government colleges in Kundapur.”
The report quoted Ramakrishna, the principal of the college, as saying that he was following the directions of the college development committee chairman and Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Haldi Srinivas Shetty. The principal said that Shetty had instructed them not to allow any kind of extra dress other than the one specified.
Separately, Shetty said Hindu That he held a meeting with the parents of the students and asked them to make their children follow the existing dress code – ie wearing the uniform – until a decision in this regard is taken by the concerned government department.
He said that some girl students were attending classes in the college wearing hijab for the last few days. He said other students had objections to it and demanded action.
“As the situation was getting tense, I called a meeting of parents on Wednesday when several boys were seen in the college with shawls,” said the MLA.
In addition, he told Hindu That he also heard the parents of the students who came to the class wearing the hijab.
“I told them to follow their religion in their homes and not drag it into the classroom. I made it clear that there cannot be a hijab or a saffron shawl in the classroom and the students will have to wear the prescribed uniform,” he said.
The Kundapur incident is the fifth incident of religious intolerance in educational institutions since December 28 last year. Hindustan Times,
There were six Muslim students on December 28, 2021 denied access Government Women PU College in Karnataka to wear Hijab.
Since then, there have been protests against the hijab in two other colleges amid the latest incident at Bhandarkars College. The report said that in one school, the principal was suspended after students allegedly offered Friday prayers at the school.
Similar incidents of students being denied entry for wearing scarves have also been reported from other educational institutions in Karnataka, it said.
Meanwhile, six students who were initially denied admission to their college for wearing headscarves have been protesting for weeks and five of them have filed a petition in the High Court declaring that they will not attend classes. They have the right to wear a hijab while taking off.
Another student has separately filed a similar petition times of India, Who Reported That the court had fixed the petitions for February 8.
Both petitions accused college officials and others of “shaming” students in hijabs by referring to their religious identities, the report said, adding that the petitioners argue that the hijab is religious and social. It’s part of the culture, and wearing it doesn’t get in anyone’s way. College Discipline and Education.
Meanwhile, state education minister Nagesh Bisi has backed the college authorities, who say that both saffron scarves and headscarfs should be banned on campuses.
She said BBC no. That the government will soon outline its stand before the Karnataka High Court, which will hear the two petitions next week.