On Wednesday (February 16), a female Muslim teacher tendered her resignation after being allegedly directed by the administration of Jain Pre University College (PUC) in Tumkur in Karnataka to take classes without a hijab.
The teacher, identified as one Chandini, is apparently a Lecturer in the Department of English at the PU college. In a letter to the Principal, she said, “…Resigning from my position of Lecturer of English subject, as you demanded me to remove my Hijab which I have been carrying for 3 years in your college.”
She further claimed, “Right to Religion is a constitutional right which nobody could deny. Thank you. I condemn your undemocratic act.” The development comes amidst the ongoing controversy over the refusal of permission to some female Muslim students to wear a burqa in the classrooms in a Udupi PUC.
In a video that has now surfaced on social media, a Burqa-clad Chandini could be heard saying that she was not comfortable working without a ‘hijab’ at the Jain PU College. Hijab is a headscarf while burqa (what Chandini is wearing is a full body veil). She added that the Principal had barred teachers from wearing hijab and other religious symbolism to classes. Chandini claimed that it was a matter of ‘self-respect’ and thus tendered her resignation.
In her resignation letter, Chandini wrote, “Right to religion is a constitutional right which no one should be denied.”https://t.co/ViA7m9WfVb pic.twitter.com/sW73VQa2n2
— Express Bengaluru (@IEBengaluru) February 18, 2022
It must be mentioned that on February 10, the Karnataka High Court had issued a preliminary ruling in the Hijab row case and instructing students and stakeholders to not wear any religious garments or headdresses till the case is resolved. Meanwhile, OpIndia has reached out to Jain PU College about the matter and is awaiting a response from the administration.
Karnataka hijab controversy
Recently, some Muslim students from the PU College in Karnataka filed a petition in the High Court to allow them to attend classes wearing Hijab. They were denied entry into classes because the college management stated that the hijab is not part of the uniform and it cannot be allowed in classes. Since then, the ‘students’ have been protesting while wearing burqas.
The Muslim students had started wearing hijab and burqa to their school, college in defiance of the uniform rules since December 2021 after coming in touch with the Campus Front of India (CFI), the student wing of the Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) in October 2021. The students had admitted being in consultation with the CFI.
