Mangalore:
Mangalore does it again. An undergraduate college in Mangalore in coastal Karnataka has now made it official that women students will not be allowed to enter classrooms if they wish to wear a burqa or even a hijab. St Aloysius College has now brought out a prospectus which reads - "Students must be neatly dressed in accordance with the rule of approved etiquette. Girls are not expected to wear burqa in classrooms and in examination halls. The decision of the principal in this regard is to be accepted."
"The move is to bring uniformity in the classroom" AM Narahari, registrar of the college told NDTV. He adds, "Girls will not be allowed to enter classrooms and examination halls with the burqa. It is mandatory for the student to show her face."
Mangalore city has close to 30 per cent Muslim population. The diktat has triggered a debate. Mohammed Masood, President, Muslim Community, Dakshin Kannada says "The move explains the narrow-mindedness of the institution. Many girls have avoided going to college because they have been uncomfortable taking their hijab off."
Educationists, however, think that wearing a burqa inside the classroom should be avoided. "For reasons of uniformity and malpractice during exams, the burqa inside a classroom should be avoided. One cannot mix faith and education which involved discipline" says Franklin, Principal of St Johns Pre University in Bangalore.
Several students however resist a dress code. "We should be allowed to wear what we like and not in college says a female student of Commerce in Bangalore.
Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda hold the higher Education Portfolio. After receiving flak for their proposal to introduce the Bhagwat Gita in state schools, the education ministry has so far been silent on the burqa ban inside classroom by a private college in Mangalore.