Rajasthan government mulls seeking status report on hijab ban from other states

Jaipur: Rajasthan government is planning to seek reports from other states on their position on hijab ban in educational institutes, even as the controversy rages in Jaipur with a senior Cabinet minister openly supporting the move to ban hijabs.

The overall status report on hijab ban from all other states and its probable impact on Rajasthan would then be compiled and sent to education minister Madan Dilawar, who would then initiate a debate and plan the next move.

Agriculture minister Dr Kirori Lal Meena has already supported the hijab ban in both government and private schools including madrasas, saying this would inculcate discipline otherwise anybody can wear anything and come to work even in police stations. Talking about the hijab ban in schools even in some Muslim countries, he said : “When Muslim invaders came here, they began this tradition in our country. The DNA of Indian Muslims is like ours only. When hijab is not acceptable in some Muslim countries, why should we adopt them?” He said the issue would be brought into the focus of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma.

The hijab controversy erupted after BJP’s newbie MLA from Hawa Mahal, Balmukund Acharya visited the Government Senior Secondary Girls School in Gangapol, Subhash Chowk, and questioned the two forms of dress code for girls in school, essentially pinpointing at the Muslim students who were wearing hijab and burqa for the school annual function on Jan 27. The girls protested against the legislator at the Subhash Chowk police station yesterday, demanding an apology and an FIR against the MLA.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan government is also planning to celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14 as Matri-Pitri Pujan Diwas ( Mother-Father Worship Day) to counter the blind aping of the Western culture. It is a day when lovers express their love and affection through gifts, greetings and proposals.

Matri-Pitri Diwas is likely to be incorporated in the school calendar from next year, according to education minister Dilawar, who said the government would study the effects of the move. As the name indicates, it would be a day dedicated to parents, as the love of parents is the purest form of love. The initiative is to revive an awakening amongst families that ties with parents is of utmost importance and there should be celebration to renew this bond annually. The festival is said to draw inspiration from the puja of Shiva and Ma Parvati by their son Lord Ganesha.

Vasundhara Raje’s government had initiated this move in 2018 and had plans to incorporate this day from the school calendar the following year. But with Congress coming back to powder in 2018, this plan was shelved. It was at the initiative of the then education minister Vasudev Devnani, who is the present Assembly Speaker.