Karnataka's Hijab Row Sets Off Ripples In Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry

The controversy over the wearing of hijab (headscarves) by students crossed the state borders of Karnataka and surfaced in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Puducherry on Tuesday. As the Karnataka High Court – in response to an appeal by five women students in favour of headscarves, appealed for peace -- a minister in Madhya Pradesh ruled in favour of "discipline" and an "uniform dress code". In Puducherry, the authorities have asked the head of a government school in Ariyankuppam to inquire into allegations of a teacher objecting to headscarves in class.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai has ordered closure of all schools and colleges in the state for the next three days amid statewide row over wearing hijab by students. The controversy had started last month after students at a college in Udupi said they were barred from classes for insisting on wearing headscarves.

Right-wing groups took up the issue and raised objection to Muslim girls wearing hijab in class.

Supporting the ban on Hijab, Madhya Pradesh School Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar said the government will give priority to discipline.

"Hijab isn't part of school uniform, which is why wearing it should be banned in schools. Traditions need to be followed by people at their homes and not at schools. We are working on strict enforcement of dress code at schools," he said.

Asked if hijab will be banned in schools of the state, the minister said if need be, a decision will be taken after examining the issue.

"The minister needs to tell us what is his priority: Working on proper functioning of schools amid the Covid and improving quality of education by filling vacancies in government schools or pursuing the agenda of communal divide,"  said Congress spokesperson Abbas Hafiz.

"Our country's constitution has granted every citizen the right to practice his/her religion but the BJP government is trying to deprive even school-going children of their religious practices. Turban wearing by Sikhs and wearing of Hijab by Muslim women has been going on for decades. But this government wants to put an end to these age-old traditions, which speaks volumes about the mental bankruptcy of those presently in power," he added.

Madhya Pradesh has around 1.25 lakh government schools, where there is provision for school uniform. The state government funds the uniforms of students from Class I to Class VIII.

In Puducherry meanwhile, a spokesperson of the Directorate of Education said they have received complaints from student groups and other organisations regarding a teacher who allegedly objected to a head scarf worn by a student.

"We want to know what has actually happened and further course of action would be decided after receiving a report from the school," the spokesperson was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India.

The local head of the Left-backed Students Federation of India said the girl had been attending classes wearing hijab for the last three years and questioned why the objection came up now.

He said they have also received complaints that some schools in Veerampattinam, Embalam and Tirukanoor are encouraging "drills" similar to the ones conducted in programmes of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological mentor of the BJP.

"We want a detailed probe into this also and prevent intrusion of saffronisation of institutions with the active encouragement of a section of officials," he said, reported PTI.

(With PTI)