Students firm on their demand, refuse to remove hijab

Management at MGM College in Udupi extends holidays indefinitely

Over 50 Muslim students refusing to remove the hijab (scarf) returned home without attending classes, as colleges that had shut down reopened across the Dakshina Kannada district on Wednesday.

As many as 20 students from Pompei Degree College on the city’s outskirts, 15 students from first-grade government degree college in Mulki, 11 students from government first-grade college in Vitla, nine students from Nehru Memorial Degree College in Sullia, two students from government colleges in Kavoor and Car Street boycotted classes after being asked to remove the hijab by principals of the respective colleges.

Muslim girl students charged that prior to High Court’s interim order, they had attended classes wearing the headscarf. As many as 22 girl students in a college in Mudipu, 11 students from a college in Montepadavu, Mahaveer College and Indiranagar degree college, paying heed to pleas of their principals, removed the headscarf in the ladies room and attended the classes.

District Deputy Director of Pre University Education (DDPUE) Jayanna told DH when contacted that he had not received any reports of students being sent back to their homes.

‘HC's order misinterpreted’

Meanwhile, SDPI state president Abdul Majeed Mysuru threatened to file contempt of court cases against education and home departments for wrongly interpreting the High Court’s interim order.

“The High Court in its interim order had said that hijab was not allowed in PU colleges where development committees had implemented a dress code. But, the deputy commissioners, DDPI and police, without understanding the order, are forcing students and teachers in schools and degree colleges to remove the hijab before attending classes,” he charged.

SDPI secretary Bhaskar Prasad, responding to a query on religion being given priority over education, declared that the hijab was being equated as an open rebellion against the oppression of the Sangh Parivar.

“Today, students have realised that education meant to empower them has no meaning if they did not oppose restrictions surrounding the wearing of the hijab,” stressed Prasad.

Both Majeed and Prasad denied that the hijab controversy was a brainchild of SDPI and BJP.

SDPI does not believe in stooping so low to the extent of playing with the lives of students. We are always open to debate and are committed to protecting the rights of girl students, they said.

Prasad accused the BJP of bringing religion into classrooms by partially withdrawing the order on giving eggs to students.

National Women’s Front district president Zulaika Bajpe condemned schools and managements who were using the court’s interim order to harass students and teachers from the Muslim community.

Members of Karavali Mahila Hakkugala Vedike said that they will submit memorandums to the government.

In Udupi

As many as 23 students did not attend classes across colleges in Kundapur in the Udupi district on Wednesday.

As a preventive step, prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC were clamped around the college upto a radius of 200 metres.

Meanwhile, the management at MGM College in Udupi extended the holidays indefinitely in order to ensure that the reopening of colleges did not trigger another clash. The classes were held online, sources told DH.