Karnataka Hijab Row Intensifies as Students Skip School, Exams; HC Adjourns Hearing Till Wednesday

The hijab row in Karnataka continued to take the centre stage on Tuesday as more than 35 students, who were denied entry into their classrooms for wearing their headscarves, began a demonstration on the school campus in Kodagu district. Similar incidents were reported across the state as students skipped schools and exams or chose to register their protest as politics intensified over the issue.

The hijab controversy has started a debate across the country with the Karnataka High Court taking up the matter for hearing, which resumed at 2.45 pm on Tuesday. The matter was, however, adjourned till Wednesday afternoon.

In its interim order, the high court had ruled against wearing any religious outfits to colleges.

HEARING IN KARNATAKA HC

The three-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justices Krishna S Dixit and JM Khazi, started hearing the matter on Tuesday.

Senior advocate Devdatt Kamat, who appeared for petitioner in the case, referred to a judgment of a South Africa court. The issue was whether a Hindu girl with roots in South India could wear nose ring in school, news agency ANI reported. He referred to the judgement which says that “this case is not about uniforms, but exemptions to existing uniforms”.

“South Africa’s judgement also said that if there are other learners who hitherto were afraid to express their religions or cultures and who will now be encouraged to do so, that is something to be celebrated, not feared,” advocate Kamat said.

After hearing the arguments from both the sides, the bench adjourned the matter for Wednesday.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN KARNATAKA SCHOOLS?

In Shivmogga, a few girls refused to remove their headscarves for their preparatory exams of Class 10. This comes after 13 girls, who were already denied entry on Monday, skipped Tuesday’s exams at the school. Similar reports emerged from other places. More than 80 girls from classes 8, 9, and 10 of an Urdu school in Kalburgi skipped classes after not being allowed to enter the school with hijab on Monday.

In Raichur, a section of parents got into an argument with teachers and members of the minority department over not allowing their wards to wear hijab in classrooms. “They weren’t allowed yesterday, today also they are not allowed. What about future of our children?” they asked.

A school in Vijayapura, however, painted a different picture. Instead of denying entry to students wearing hijab, teaching staff took part in various prayers with them. Karnataka High Court order only speaks about colleges and not schools, the teachers argued.

The Karnataka government on Monday decided to reopen pre-university and degree colleges across the state, which were shut due to hijab row, from February 16. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, which was attended by Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh, Higher Education Minister C N Ashwath Narayan, and senior officials of the government.

POLITICIANS JUMP IN

The Karnataka hijab row has created ripples in the political arena. The Congress on Monday rejected remarks made by its MLA in Karnataka that Hijab is an old practice among Muslims to not show the beauty of young girls to others. Party general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said there is no place in modern India for such “regressive views”. The BJP hit out at the Congress alleging that the party MLA in Karnataka has trivialised rape by claiming that those not wearing burqa invite rape.

Meanwhile, Karnataka legislators attended an assembly session wearing hijab, under the leadership of Opposition leader Siddaramaiah. The party said it was “protesting the collapse of constitutional values during the administration of the BJP in the state”.

Muslim legislators from the state met CM Bommai on Tuesday, requesting him to allow girl students to wear hijab at schools and colleges.

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