As the Hijab row in a college in Udupi in Karnataka refuses to cool down, a similar controversy has occurred in another college in the state. The latest Hijab issue from Government Junior College in Kunadapur, where Hindu boys are protesting against Muslim girls coming to the college wearing Hijab. On Wednesday, around 100 Hindu students came to the college with saffron scarves around their necks to protest against Muslim girls continuing to wear Hijab to the college.
#Udupi Another #Hijab row breaks out at Government college in #Kundapura. Management under the new state guidelines has asked girl students not to come college wearing hijab. Girl students refused. Then several #Hindu boys came to college wearing #saffronshawls (1/2) #karnataka pic.twitter.com/p5kLLFeBBj
— Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) February 2, 2022
Reportedly, 27 Muslim girls who study in the college had been coming to the campus wearing hijab, which is being protested by other students. As the girls refused to remove the Hijabs after they were asked to do so by the other students, some boys decided to come to the college with saffron scarves.
After the controversy erupted, Kundapur MLA Haladi Srinivas Shetty along with the school management held a meeting with the parents of Muslim students, but the issue could not be resolved as the parents refused to let their children come to the college without Hijab. The parents said that the Muslim girls have a right to wear hijab in the college and said that it was not fair to bring religion among the students in the educational institutions. “Our students are not wearing Burkha but are only wearing Hijab. It is not good to bring religion among the students in the educational institution,” the Muslim parents said.
“If you don’t want our students to wear Hijab in the college, let the Principal give written instructions for the same, and then we will decide whether to send our students to the college or not,” the parents further added.
In the videos from the meeting that went viral on social media, Muslim parents argued that they never discriminated against any religion and sent their children to the college during all Hindu festivals. “When it comes to Hijab it is mandatory. We have to do it. Don’t discriminate between them. They come here to study,” said a parent in the video.
A meeting was also conducted by management along with local MlA with parents of the students. A parent of the girl student can be heard saying we didn’t discriminate. We sent our students during all the #hindu festivals. Why is that you are discriminating with out students (2/2) pic.twitter.com/OSDbdravXM
— Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) February 2, 2022
Responding to the stand taken by Muslim students and their parents, Hindu students said that they will continue to wear saffron scarves until the Hijab is banned on the campus.
According to the reports, the MLA has said that he will initiate action against those wearing Hijab and Saffron scarfs to the college as the meeting ended without any conclusive decision. This is a day after students of the girl’s pre-university college in Udupi district moved to the Karnataka High Court seeking to allow the right to wear a hijab inside the classroom.
The petition stated that the student’s right to wear a hijab is a fundamental right guaranteed under Article 14 and 25 of the Constitution and is an essential practice of Islam. The petition also sought to permit students to attend classes wearing hijab without any interference from the college administration.
The controversy has been raging since early January that has forced the state to call for a committee to look into the matter and take a call on pre-university college uniforms across the state. Management under the new state guidelines has asked girl students to skip wearing hijab while in the college. Eight girl students have constantly refused to the guideline in practice of the Islamic faith.
The actions of the college administration are unconstitutional, arbitrary and exclusionary in nature, the petition claims as the college in Udupi denied entry to eight students wearing hijab. The first hearing in the case is expected to be held by the end of this week.
