Hijab Row
By Shankar Raj*
Bengaluru: A day after the hijab verdict was delivered by the Karnataka High Court, a few Muslim students opted to discontinue their education even as the Muslim community in the State decided to observe a day-long bandh Thursday (March 17).
The bandh is in protest against the high court ruling upholding the state government’s order prohibiting students from wearing religious attires, including hijab, in educational institutes, Maulana Sagir Ahmad Khan Rashadi, the ‘Ameer-e-Shariat Karnataka,’ said Wednesday.
“I request all the Muslims to listen to my order attentively and implement it strictly. On March 17, there will be a complete bandh across Karnataka,” Maulana Rashidi said in a video message. He also described the high court order as ‘sad.’
Also read: Court verdict on hijab – A big political windfall for the Karnataka government?
Meanwhile, the six students from Government PU College for Girls who have been protesting demanding permission to attend classes wearing the hijab, said they have not attended classes since the last week of December.
“We had pinned all our hopes on the judiciary and the Constitution. Wearing the hijab is an essential part of our religion and finds a mention in the Quran,” they reiterated on Tuesday.
Almas and Aliya Assadi, representing the six girls, said, “We are not feeling positive about the judgment. We will not go to class without the hijab and will fight this in every possible way, legally. ’’
“Hijab is an essential part of our religion. Our priority is religion and education. The issue could have been resolved within the four walls of our college. But it got political mileage, and then it turned communal,’’ they said.
On the other Muslim students attending classes without the hijab, they said it was their choice. “But these girls would also like to follow religion and culture,’’ they claimed.
Even as a few colleges reopened, the High Court judgement has left Muslim girl students in a delicate situation.
A student at the government-run MGM College in Udupi told a TV channel that she did not have a choice. “I want my education. When I sat next to my classmates without a hijab, a Hindu student walked up to me and said ‘you are one of us’,” Sana Kauser said.
Until the High Court order, students were allowed to wear hijab in the classrooms, but now they have been given room to take off the hijab before classes begin.
Even as the girl students are torn between a court judgment and their religious practice, the Vice-President of the Udupi Girl’s Government College, who is also a BJP leader, made a shocking statement on girls refusing to give up their hijab.
“They are not students. They are agents of terrorist organizations. If they don’t respect the Indian judiciary, they can walk out from India. They can settle where they are allowed to wear the hijab,” said Yashpal Suvarna.
*Shankar Raj is former Editor of The New Indian Express, Karnataka and Kerala, and writes regularly on current affairs.
