Hijab row leads to confrontation between students in Mangaluru

The high court in its interim order had said that religious clothes were banned in colleges where “the College Development Committees have prescribed the student dress code/ uniform”.

Even as the Karnataka high court is expected to give its verdict on the hijab ban introduced in some colleges in the state, fresh confrontations surrounding the issue were reported in Mangaluru city.

According to the police, students who protested were from a different college and they had come to protest here after hearing the college’s decision. (Representational photo)

A group of students who claimed they were allowed to appear for the examination with a shawl over their head in P Dayananda Pai government college in Mangaluru, were confronted by another group of protesting students on Thursday and Friday during examinations. The protesting students claimed that the principal had allowed Muslim students to attend the examination with a shawl over the head, but without any pins, that would make it resemble a hijab.

The high court in its interim order had said that religious clothes were banned in colleges where “the College Development Committees have prescribed the student dress code/ uniform”. Following this alleged relaxation, a few Muslim students arrived at the college on Thursday morning to appear for their examination, when other students got into an argument with them and the college management.

“Principal gave us permission to write the exam while wearing a shawl around the head without pins. While we were taking the examination, a group of students came in and asked us to leave the room. Who are they to tell us to leave?” one of the students said, pleading anonymity.

According to the police, students who protested were from a different college and they had come to protest here after hearing the college’s decision.

“On Thursday, five students in P Dayananda Pai college were not allowed to write exam as some students stopped them. We were not informed about this incident till Friday. When we learned about this, we deployed police. On Friday morning, these five students returned to college for exams, but they were confronted by another group of students,” said N Shashi Kumar, Mangaluru police commissioner. “We are taking legal action based on expert opinion,” he said.

Following the protest on Friday, the principal had said that the college will go by the high court interim order and won’t allow students with a headscarf to attend examinations.