After protests, Mangalore varsity says it will follow hijab ban order

The Karnataka high court on March 15 had observed that wearing of hijab is not an essential religious practice and upheld the government order on adhering to uniforms in degree and pre-university colleges that have a prescribed uniform.

Mangalore University on Friday announced strict implementation of Karnataka government’s order on hijab in educational institutes and restricted its use inside classrooms, laboratories, libraries and canteens across degree colleges.

The varsity said that while students will be allowed to enter the campus in their headscarves, they will have to remove them before entering any building in the premises. (HT Photo)

The varsity said that while students will be allowed to enter the campus in their headscarves, they will have to remove them before entering any building in the premises.

The university’s decision came a day after a group of students at University College in Hampanakatte staged a protest on the campus, alleging poor implementation of the government order on hijab.

The Karnataka high court on March 15 had observed that wearing of hijab is not an essential religious practice and upheld the government order on adhering to uniforms in degree and pre-university colleges that have a prescribed uniform.

“We will implement the decision on hijab which was taken earlier. On May 16, the syndicate had decided to strictly follow the high court order and government directions in our constituent colleges,” Mangalore University vice-chancellor Dr P Subrahmanya Yadapadithaya told HT.

Students will be allowed only in their prescribed uniforms and cannot wear the hijab inside classrooms, he added.

“They (students) can wear it (hijab) inside the campus, remove it and then attend classes, laboratory, etc. They can wear it inside the campus and move around,” he said.

University College said around 44 out of nearly 1,900 students wear the hijab, out of which only around 15 were “rigid” about wearing them inside the classrooms and had even approached the district administration for permission.

“If they want to come, we will give them counselling and if they want to go to any other college where the uniform is not mandatory, then we will bend our transfer rules and facilitate the process to get them admission and write the exams. We will help them because they should not be affected academically. It is a win-win situation,” Yadapadithaya said.

Students at University College had also protested against the student body’s president for allegedly supporting students wearing the hijab. The student body president later stepped down.

College principal Anasuya Rai, however, said the state government’s order was being strictly enforced. “A notice barring students from wearing the hijab was also put on the college notice board on May 17. After that, a few Muslim students stopped attending classes,” Rai said on Thursday.