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Hijab verdict: CM appeals for calm
Siddaramaiah, the leader of the Opposition, refused to comment on the order and instead reiterated wearing hijab does not harm anyone
Bengaluru: Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday appealed for calm after the Karnataka high court upheld the ban on hijab in schools and colleges, saying the matter has been settled now and requested students to return to classes.
“The honourable three-bench high court has given its verdict...the uniform order by the government is upheld...[it said]...hijab is not part of essential religious practice of religion. Therefore, I request everybody in society, parents, teachers, students, and those who are concerned about education...whatever the high court has said we have to see it is implemented and peace and order are maintained... I request all of them to maintain peace and order for the future education of our children, which is very important.”
Primary and secondary education minister B C Nagesh said the Muslim girls, who protested against the ban, were “misguided”. “In the coming days, those aspects under the Karnataka Education Act which gave rise to confusion will be resolved based on this judgement.” He added the school uniform brings a sense of “nationalism mentality” and it has been prescribed for this reason. Nagesh requested the girls to resume their education. “....the people of Karnataka have never gone against court’s judgements.”
Siddaramaiah, the leader of the Opposition, refused to comment on the order and instead reiterated wearing the hijab does not harm anyone.
DK Shivakumar, the state Congress chief, said his greatest concern in the hijab controversy is education, and law and order. “The high court has given a judgement, but the responsibility for education, law and order, and communal harmony is still with the government.” He asked the government to show mature leadership and ensure law and order are maintained in and around schools and colleges. Shivakumar said the education of students should not be hampered, regardless of religion and gender and that there should be communal harmony.
The controversy began when at least eight Muslim students started a protest outside the government Girls Pre-University College in Udupi, about 400 km from Bengaluru, in January against the hijab ban on the orders of the College Development Council (CDC). Raghupati Bhat, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker from Udupi, is the CDC chairman.
Videos of the protesting Muslim students went viral on social media and attracted attention. Hindu students wearing saffron shawls began counterprotests, pitting students against each other.
On February 3, a video of the principal of a state-run institution in Kundapura shutting the gates on around 25 hijab-wearing girls went viral and fuelled protests as they spread to other colleges across Karnataka and beyond.
