The Karnataka administration has been working hard to enforce the High Court ruling that has barred students from wearing hijab or any religious attire to educational institutions until the matter is resolved as schools till class 10 reopen after a five-day break to alleviate communal tensions over the hijab row.
A video has surfaced of a purported altercation between parents and a teacher outside Rotary School in Mandya, in which the parents are seen insisting that their children be allowed inside the school premises with hijabs. Whereas the teacher is seen instructing the students to remove their hijab before entering the school.
A parent insisted: “I am requesting to allow students in the classroom. Hijab can be taken off after that but they’re not allowing entry with hijab.” To this, the teacher explained to the parents how it has been mandated by the High Court that students cannot wear anything religious in nature till the disposal of the case and that the students have to follow the rules to be allowed into the school premises.
#WATCH | K’taka: Argument b/w parents & a teacher outside Rotary School in Mandya as she asked students to take off hijab before entering campus
— ANI (@ANI) February 14, 2022
A parent says,”Requesting to allow students in classroom, hijab can be taken off after that but they’re not allowing entry with hijab” pic.twitter.com/0VS57tpAw0
While schools have reopened in the state, colleges are on holiday till February 16. The police in Udupi and Mangaluru have issued prohibitory orders around colleges for the next six days, until Saturday. From Monday until February 19, Section 144 of the CrPC was enacted in a 200-meter radius around all high schools.
On Monday, the Karnataka High Court will begin hearings on Muslim girls’ petitions to be permitted to attend school wearing hijabs. On Friday, it issued an interim order prohibiting children from wearing religious garb to school in places where uniforms are required.
Speaking on the reopening of schools in the state, the Tehsildar of Udipi was quoted as saying, “Karnataka schools till class 10 re-open today for physical classes, amid hijab row. Students are coming to school, the situation is peaceful, and the district administration is following high court orders”.
Karnataka schools till class 10 re-open today for physical classes, amid hijab row
— ANI (@ANI) February 14, 2022
Students are coming to school, the situation is peaceful, & the district administration is following high court orders: Tehsildar, #Udupi district
Sec 144 is imposed in Udupi dist. till Feb 19 pic.twitter.com/LwecF020AF
While the administration is attempting to calm the state’s law and order situation, which has become increasingly hostile in recent days as a result of the hijab controversy, Congress continues to exploit the issue for self-advantage.
According to reports, Congress legislators have decided to wear black bands on arms to protest the state’s ban on Muslim females wearing hijab in various pre-university colleges in the Udupi district while they attend a joint address to the state legislature by Governor Thawarchand Gehlot.
Meanwhile, on February 11, the Supreme Court had rejected a plea seeking an urgent hearing of the plea challenging the Karnataka High Court’s interim order in the Hijab ban case. Refusing to interfere in the hijab case, SC had stated that the court is hearing it already on an urgent basis and there is no need to spread it to larger levels.
