India

Karnataka: Chaos prevails as colleges disallow Burqa-clad students citing HC order

Delhi University Muslim Students Federation activists hold placards during a protest over hijab ban in Karnataka, outside Arts Faculty in New Delhi, on Feb 8, 2022. [Photo: Twitter/MSF DU]

Karnataka: Several pre-university colleges in Karnataka witnessed chaos on Wednesday on reopening after being closed for a week due to the ongoing Hijab issue, as women wearing Burqa were not allowed to enter the institutions.

The Muslim students were insistent not to remove the Burqa, let alone the Hijab, the Islamic scarves, despite tight security with police positioned in and around Pre-university colleges at numerous key locations.

Last week, the Court issued an interim ruling prohibiting students from wearing saffron shawls, scarves, Hijab, or any religious flag in the classroom, pending the resolution of all petitions relating to the Hijab debate.

Degree colleges resumed on Wednesday as well, but the administration made it clear that no uniform is required and that students are allowed to dress however they like.

Burqa-clad girls were denied admission to most government pre-university colleges, causing unrest.

The college officials declared a holiday for the day as tensions rose at Sagara government pre-university college in Shivamogga district.

The female students outside the DVS College gate in Shivamogga informed reporters that their faith is more important than any government degree.

“Today was our test and we are not allowed to go in. For us, practicing our faith is as much important as education and Burqa is part of our faith. We will not let remove it,” one of the students told reporters.

The students in Vijayapura were not allowed to enter the college because they refused to remove their Burqa. Similar incidents were reported in state’s Bijapur, Kalaburagi, and Yadgir.

High schools, PU and Degree institutions have been closed since February 9 due to a dispute over Hijab versus saffron scarves, which resulted in unfortunate situations in areas of the state early last week.

Six female students from a college in Udupi attended a news conference organised by Campus Front of India (CFI) in the coastal town on January 1 to protest the college administrators’ refusal to allow them into the classroom because they were wearing the hijab.

This happened four days after they asked permission from the principal to wear Hijabs in class, which was not permitted. According to the college principal Rudre Gowda, students used to wear Hijab to campus and join the classroom after removing their scarves.

“The institution did not have any rule on Hijab-wearing as such and since no one used to wear it to the classroom in the last 35 years. The students who came with the demand had the backing of outside forces,” news agency PTI quoted Rudre Gowda as saying.

 

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