Students in hijab row take matter to court

THE Karnataka High Court will this week hear petitions filed by students of the Government Pre-university College for Girls, Udupi, demanding permission to attend classes while wearing a “hijab” (headscarf).

The advocate-general Prabhuling K Navadagi, who was served an advance copy of the plea, said he sought time.

Considering the request, the bench, headed by Justice Krishna S Dixit, adjourned the matter to Tuesday.

The students in their petition have submitted that the college authorities refused them the right to attend classes only because they wear a hijab.

They have further requested that the court to issue directions to the government to not interfere with their religious and fundamental rights.

They said that wearing a hijab was an essential part of their religion.

The students also explained in their petition that they wore the hijab along with their uniform.

The petitioners added that the principal, vice-principal and lecturers had humiliated them for dressing in such a way.

They also said the “students following the Islamic religion and wearing hijab were denied entry into the college on December 28, 2021”.

The petition claimed that from the last week of December 2021, their teacher did not allow them to sit in the class, and they were requested to bring their parents to the college.

However, when their parents arrived, college authorities did not meet them and made them wait for the whole day, the petition said.

The students have submitted two petitions to the high court.

Meanwhile, the hijab row continues to haunt college campuses as protesting students are not relenting, and have made their stand clear that they will only attend classes wearing a hijab.

The college authorities are blocking students wearing the hijab from entering the colleges and the issue is threatening to surface in more colleges of the state.

The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, commented on the hijab row of Karnataka and chided the central government.

“The slogan of ‘beti padavo, beti bachao’ on the education of girls is hollow.

“Muslim girl students are being excluded from getting an education for wearing their traditional attire,” he said.

Karnataka Home Minister Araga said that they were examining the role of communal forces behind the emergence of the hijab row in the state, and that the necessary steps would be taken against them for challenging the integrity and unity of the nation.

He said there was no room for “hijab”, “naqab”, “burka”, saffron and green shawls on the college campuses.