Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

Veiled politics: Religious sentiments vs uniform dress code in colleges

MANGALURU/ HUBBALLI: The state government has thrown up its hands as students try to assert their religious identity through their attire. Education minister Basavaraj Rayareddy says it is the personal choice of students to wear a hijab, burqa or even a hat or cap, if they wish to. .

 There has always been a thin line between respecting religious sentiments and unifor m dress code, worldwide, in educational institutions. .

 Karnataka, however, till the recent past, had seen only a few incidents over wearing of the hijab or burqa. But since 2008-09, there has been a steady increase in the number of protests.From Mangaluru to Hubballi and from Shivamogga to Mysuru, the wearing of hijab and burqas in classrooms is being questioned by saffron student organizations. .

 In the communally sensitive educational hub of Mangaluru, wearing the hijab has always been a sensitive issue. This year, instead of clashes, saffron student unions decided to sport saffron shawls and scarves to colleges. .

 The first row cropped up in 2009 at the Sri Venkataramana Swamy PU College, Bantwal. A first-year Muslim student of this college, 30 km from Mangaluru, was not permitted to wear a headscarf to class. The pressure to remove her religious symbol came not just from the college administration, but fellow students too. They threatened her, `If you wear the scarf, we will wear saffron shawls’. .

 In 2012, the issue resurfaced at the Gover nment First Grade College, Uppinangady and at St Aloysius C o l l e g e r u n by Je s u i t priests when it banned women students from wearing burqa in classrooms. .

 This year, the Dr K Shivarama Karanth Government First Grade College in Bellare was the focal point of protests. Over 100 male and female students have been wearing saffron shawls over their shirts for the past two months. They’ll continue wearing it till the college management takes action against students wearing the hijab in class. Repeated meetings to convince students and their parents have not yielded any result.

 While minority leaders consider that raising such issues would create turmoil in the society, activists of the Bajrang Dal believe there is a dress code laid down by institutions that should be followed. .

 Educational institutions of Hubballi-Dharwad, too, saw a manifold increase in protests against the hijab in class. A siz eable number of students from at least five colleges protested against girls wearing hijabs. These include Kumareshwar Degree College and Government College in Hangal, CG Bellad College of Akki Alur, Government Degree College of Bankapur and BR Tambakad First Grade College of Hirekerur . .

 The district administration intervened, and along with college management and parents, spoke to students and heeding their appeal, students of four colleges decided to end the protest of wearing saffron shawls and scarves. But students of the B R Tambakad first Grade College continued their protest. On Tuesday too, students attended the practical examinations wearing saffron scarves. .

 Parents’ issue threats .

 Repeated efforts to defuse the situation ended in an impasse with parents of girls who wear hijabs threatening to pull their children out from the college and those of the majority community seeking to implement the uniform dress code of the institutions. The col lege management has sought the intervention of the state government.