After Karnataka, Puducherry girl forced not to wear burqa or hijab to school

After the uproar in Karnataka, a scandal has erupted in Puducherry after a government school principal allegedly instructed a Muslim student not to wear the hijab and burqa to school.

A group of political and social activists, today, petitioned Director of Education PT Rudra Goud, requesting that the incident be investigated. At the same time, in response to a viral clip, they have urged a ban on RSS activities in the courtyard of a government school.

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According to her father, Iqbal Basha, the girl is a 9th grade student at Government High School in Ariyankuppam who has been wearing the hijab and burqa to school.

In a report by New Indian Express, he said that after she arrived at school, she would remove the burqa and attend lessons wearing hijab. The school headmaster, however, objected to this after the school resumed on February 4, he claimed. Despite the fact that she had been wearing the hijab since first grade while attending the same school, the objection was brought only a few months ago.

Asha, who is also the SDPI Party's Organiser (South) in Puducherry, asked the Headmistress to put her complaints in writing, but she refused and told him to speak with higher education officials. Following this, he addressed political and social activists, who raised the issue with Education Department officials.

Gayathri Srikanth, a member of the DMK's women's wing, was one of the petitioners who questioned how a Muslim student could be denied the right to wear a headscarf at school. Muslim students have been allowed to wear it in all colleges and universities.

"The subject has just come to my attention, and I've instructed the Chief Education Officer to look into it and report back," Rudra Goud said.

He underlined that no instructions prohibiting students from wearing hijab in school had been issued.

However, rumours had reached him that this student began wearing a burqa to school, which the Headmaster of the school objected to, he stated. A thorough report, on the other hand, is anticipated.

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Following the event, he stated that the Education Department will draught standards for school clothing codes and, once approved by the government, will require all students to observe them, according to Goud.

“Now someone is coming wearing Burqa, tomorrow some other student may come wearing saffron robes or shawls “, he said citing Karnataka and hence a dress code guidelines will be issued for everyone. Puducherry government is providing the school uniform and in addition to that the few things that would be permitted, he said.

On the other hand, a video of school kids receiving physical exercise in the courtyard of a government school in Sompet, Mannadipet Commune, has gone viral, with students yelling Jai Kali, Bharat mata ki jai. The petitioners objected to the usage of the school grounds for purported RSS activities and demanded that it be prohibited.

According to Rudra Goud, the Education Department has not granted anyone permission to conduct any physical training or yoga exercises. He stated that most primary schools lack a watchman, making it difficult to regulate after-school use of the open courtyard. According to Goud, if someone seeks for authorization, it will be reviewed and a decision made accordingly.

The NDA government in Puducherry has been chastised by political and social groups for its actions.

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