MANGALURU: Almost 27 Muslim students were denied entry to a government-run pre-university college, which is equivalent to a high school, for wearing hijabs in the coastal town of Kundapur in Karnataka’s Udupi district, India, local media reported.
The southern Indian state of Karnataka is witnessing a deepening hijab row, with the Indian media reporting a second incident in recent weeks of Muslim students being denied entry to their educational institution for wearing hijab.
The report said the decision not to allow entry to students wearing hijabs was taken after over 100 students donned saffron shawls — the colour is seen as a Hindu symbol — and protested against Muslim female students wearing hijabs at Bhandarkars’ College.
According to Indian media, Muslim students wearing hijab were stopped at the front gate by the college principal and other officials. They were expressly told that they could enter the premises only if they removed the Islamic headscarf.
#WATCH | Udupi Hijab row, Karnataka: Students wearing hijab being denied entry at Bhandarkars’ College Kundapura pic.twitter.com/JNOqk3LeIx
— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2022
The students objected to the move and questioned why such a rule was suddenly enforced. Ramakrishna, the college principal, was heard saying in a video that he was following the directives of the college development committee president and lawmaker from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Halady Srinivas Shetty.
A Muslim student of the college said that a meeting was convened on Wednesday to convince parents of Muslim wards to send them without the head scarf. However, they were not convinced.
The student said that since the Hindu students had threatened to wear saffron towels to classes, the college came under pressure and banned the hijab. “We have been attending classes wearing hijab for all these years but the rule was enforced in one day,” the student said.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Education minister BC Nagesh said that educational institutions must not become the warfield of two communities. “It is a sacred place and every student should feel equal. As it is now before the court, let us see what comes out. The final report will be submitted and it will be followed from the next academic year.”
The incident in Kundapur is the fifth incident of religious intolerance in educational institutions since December 28 last year, according to Hindustan Times.
On December 28, 2021, six Muslim students were denied entry to Government Women’s PU college in Karnataka for wearing hijab. Between then and the latest incident in Bhandarkars’ College, protests have been held in two other colleges against hijabs.
