Protests Against Hijab Wearing Girls In Karnataka Colleges: Report

Colleges in various districts of Karnataka are witnessing protests against Hijab wearing girls. A section of students is demanding allowance to wear saffron-coloured scarves if the Muslim students are being allowed to wear Hijab inside the college premises.

After witnessing protests against Hijab wearing girls in colleges of Mangaluru and Chikkamangaluru districts of Karnataka, a college in Udupi has banned Muslim girls wearing Hijab from attending classes.

The government college in Udupi has strictly banned girls wearing Hijab from attending any classes for violating the dress code. However, the concerned students were allowed in the college when they approached the Deputy Commissioner of Udupi regarding the matter who condemned the violation of the constitutional rights of these students.

Protest against Hijab wearing girls in Karnataka districts

A group of students in colleges of Mangaluru donned saffron-coloured scarves to protest against the Muslim girls wearing Hijab to colleges. They demanded that they must be allowed to wear saffron scarves if the Muslim students have been allowed to wear Hijab to college premises.

In a similar incident that took place in the Balagadi village of Koppa Panchayat of Chikkamangaluru, right-wing students were seen wearing saffron scarves to show their solidarity and protested against the allowance to Hijab in colleges.

Uniform dress code for students

The principal of government college of Balagadi has banned both Hijab and saffron scarves in an attempt to minimise the tensions created following the issue and has mandated all students to adhere to the uniform dress code.

The college principal, Ananth Murthy told in an interview, “The officials were part of the meeting and it was decided that Hindu students will not sport saffron scarves and Muslim girl students will not wear hijabs but they can wear a shawl to cover their heads. If anyone violates the rule, they would be dismissed from the college.”

Syed Sarfaraz Gangavathi, Secretary, Campus Front of India, Karnataka appreciated the decision taken by the Koppa college stating, “The Constitution allows the wearing of hijab or saffron shawls but it should not be instigated by anyone or politically motivated.”