Karnataka College Bans Saffron Scarves, Hijabs To Diffuse Communal Tension On Campus

A state-run college in Balagadi village in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka decided to ban hijabs and saffron scarves on the campus. The decision came after a meeting held with the parents of students on Wednesday regarding the tension that rose earlier.

The tension was around a section of students who had turned up wearing saffron scarves to ask their female Muslim classmates not to wear hijabs during classes.

Principal Ananth Murthy said, "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," to The Indian Express.

The college has around 850 students, out of which a quarter are Muslim. Issues regarding uniforms have not come up as earlier, but instances like these are now coming up, an officer from the higher education department said.

A faculty member who chose to remain anonymous told The Indian Express that some people were trying to instigate hatred.

Similar Issue Faced Earlier

"Dress code was never a concern and it never became an issue. This is the second time I have come across such a situation. It happened in 2018 also and a parents' meeting was called then," Murthy told The Indian Express. Local representatives and officials convened the meeting and helped control the situation. The meeting concluded that no one will be allowed to wear a hijab though scarves over the head would be allowed.

Since the past few days, some female students have been wearing a hijab to the college, he further said. Hence the other students decided to wear scarves, said Vinay Koppa, a B Com second-year student, as reported by India Times. He further said that the college administration had asked the Muslim women multiple times to not wear a hijab on the campus, but they did not follow that. They had said that non-compliance would intensify their agitation in the coming days.

Reactions To The Current Decision

The decision has been welcomed by Syed Sarfaraz Gangavathi, state secretary of Campus Front of India, and he said, "Constitution allows the wearing of hijab or saffron shawls but it should not be instigated by anyone or politically motivated."

Moreover, Harsha Narayan, former National Secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), said schools and colleges should be kept away from religious practices.

In a similar incident recently, Muslim girls were stopped by the principal of a government Pre-University (PU) college in the Udupi district wearing hijabs. However, they were later allowed entry as they approached the deputy commissioner of Udupi, Kurma Rao, saying that their constitutional rights were in question due to this act.

Also Read: Meet S Somnath, Rocket Scientist Who Has Been Appointed As New ISRO Chief