Shutdown call over hijab ruling hits normal life in parts of Karnataka

The bandh comes two days after a three-judge bench of the HC ruled against wearing of the hijab in educational institutions observing that it was not a part of “essential religious practice” in Islam.

Following a bandh call from Muslim bodies — in protest against the Karnataka high court upholding the hijab ban — commercial establishments in several parts of the state remained shut on Thursday.

Commuters drive past closed shops run by Muslim people as they protest against Karnataka's high court decision to upheld a local ban on the hijab in classrooms, in Bangalore. (AFP)

The bandh evoked a bigger response in districts like Udupi and Dakshina Kannada but several localities in Shivamogga and Bengaluru where shops were predominantly owned by non-Muslims remained open as they did not support the bandh.

“All shops are closed today to support the bandh call over the hijab ban,” mechanic M Akram in Bengaluru’s Shivajinagar said on Thursday.

The Ameer-E-Shariat of Karnataka, Maulana Sagir Ahmad Khan Rashadi, called for a statewide bandh. The call was supported by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Campus Front of India (CFI).In Udupi, several streets where Muslims own businesses, especially around the Jamia Masjid, wore a deserted look.

The bandh comes two days after a three-judge bench of the HC ruled against wearing of the hijab in educational institutions observing that it was not a part of “essential religious practice” in Islam.

“Around 300-400 shops owned by Muslims remained closed in Bhatkal town. We have done this voluntarily,” Dr Haneef Shobab from Bhatkal said.

About 90 km from Udupi, Bhatkal — considered one of the most communally sensitive regions in Karnataka — remained tense since the verdict. On Tuesday itself, police booked at least four people alleging that they were trying to forcefully close the shops in Bhatkal. Shops in Bhatkal remained closed on Wednesday.

“Almost 90% shops in Udupi were shut to express our dissatisfaction with the verdict that interferes with our religious practices. The hijab is part of our Quran, Hadees and our culture, which is now being denied,” said a shopkeeper in Udupi, requesting anonymity.

“No untoward incidents were reported anywhere in the Karnataka districts.The security arrangements are in place and being continued from past 10-15 days. We conducted visits to some sensitive places. Apart from that there was no additional security,” N Vishnuvardhana, superintendent of police (SP), Udupi district told HT on Thursday.

The HC order also favoured a “speedy and effective” investigation into “unseen hands at work to engineer social unrest and disharmony in the state”.

In its 129-page judgment, a full bench headed by chief justice Ritu Raj Awasthi held that Quran does not mandate wearing of hijab for Muslim women and that the attire “at the most is a means to gain access to public places” and a “measure of social security,” but “not a religious end in itself”. Members of the outfit Muslim Okkutta on Wednesday said that the case was about individual rights and not about if hijab is an essential religious practice.

“Let us be clear here. These girls (original petitioners) only demanded to be allowed to cover their heads with a shawl, not of a different colour but that of the uniform itself,” Abdul Lateef Madani, Okkutta member said.