Girls Wearing Hijab, Burqa Denied Entry To Karnataka College Over Court Order

Hijab and Burqa wearing girls were denied entry to educational institutions in Shivamogga and Udupi by the authorities citing the Karnataka High Court's interim order on Monday.

According to information received, 15 students were not allowed inside the DVS College in Shivamogga as they insisted that they should be allowed not only putting on Hijab but also with Burqa.

The college authorities told them that they cannot attend the classes as the HC interim order was in force, sources said.

The girls then gathered at the college gate but the policemen deployed there said they cannot form any group as the prohibitory orders were in place under Section 144 of the CrPC.

Similarly in Udupi, Muslim girls were not allowed inside the Government PU Girls College and hence, they were not allowed to attend the science practical tests held as part of the preparatory exams.

The practical examinations for second-year science students began at the government pre-university college for women in Udupi with the college not allowing three students to appear for the examinations wearing hijab.

The controversy over the hijab dress code spread to other colleges in Karnataka from this pre-university college after six students demanded permission to wear hijab in the classroom. Of the six students, three, A H Almas, Hazra Shifa and Bibi Ayesha, are in the science stream. They arrived in the college Monday wearing hijab to appear for the examination. But Principal Rudre Gowda did not allow them to enter the exam centre wearing a hijab citing the interim of order of the High Court. The students returned home.

Ms Almas said, "Today was our final practical exam. We had completed our record books and went in great hopes to attend the practical exam. It was so disheartening when our principal threatened us saying 'you have 5 minutes to leave, if you don't leave, I will have to file a police complaint, the principal told us," she said.

"Right now, we should have been in our labs attending the practical exams, not compelled to leave. The hopes I had from my college and my dreams are getting shattered due to the hatred sowed against hijab." Denying the allegation of the student, the principal told reporters that he tried explaining to the students on the need to follow the interim order of the High Court. They opted to return home without appearing for the examinations, prinicipal Rudre Gowda said.

Meanwhile, Bharath composite pre-university college at Mastikatte, on the outskirts of Mangaluru, which declared a holiday from February 25 following protests by students over hijab, did not open for classes on Monday.

The Hijab row started in December end when a few girls denied entry into the college with Hijab.

On January 1, six girl students of a college in Udupi attended a press conference held by the CFI in the coastal town protesting against the college authorities denying them entry into classrooms wearing hijab.

This was four days after they requested the principal permission to wear hijab in classes which was not allowed. Till then, students used to wear the headscarf to the campus, but entered the classroom after removing it, college principal Rudre Gowda had said.

"The institution did not have any rule on hijab-wearing since no one used to wear it to the classroom in the last 35 years. The students who came with the demand had the backing of outside forces," principal had said.

As the issue of Hijab versus saffron scarves spread to several educational institutions in many parts of Karnataka, the state government announced holiday from February 9 to 15 in all the pre-university college and from February 9 to February 16 in degree and diploma colleges.

The girls then approached the Karnataka High Court seeking relief and quashing the government order on February 5 restraining students from wearing any cloth that could disturb, peace, harmony and public order.

The full bench of the High Court comprising CJ Awasthi, Justice J M Khazi and Justice Krishna S Dixit, which has been hearing the case on a day-to-day basis since February 10, in its interim order asked the state government to reopen the educational institutions, which were hit by the agitation, and restrained students from wearing Hijab and saffron scarves in the class-room till the final order is delivered.

The court has completed its hearing and is likely to pass its final order soon.