The left government in Kerala is walking a tight rope, balancing Christian and Muslim sentiments amidst the Hijab controversy in a Christian school. On Wednesday (15th October), CPI(M) leader and Education Minister V Sivankutty backtracked from his earlier directive that an aggrieved student be allowed to wear the hijab in school.
Recently, Sivankutty had directed St. Rita’s Public School in Palluruthy in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, to allow hijab on the school premises. On Tuesday (13th October), Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty, disregarding the school dress code, directed the school to allow an eighth standard female student to wear hijab in the school. The management of the CBSE-affiliated school, run by the Latin Catholic Church, had declined the female student’s request to be allowed to wear a hijab, citing the school dress code.
Notably, the State Education Minister’s directive came hours after the Hijab issue was apparently resolved following a meeting between the student’s father and the school authorities in the presence of Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden and some Congress leaders. “My daughter will continue to study at the same school following the uniform. I don’t want to see the issue being exploited by certain quarters,” the girl’s father had said.
However, Minister Sivankutty has backtracked from his previous stance and said, “I have come to know that the school authorities and the parents of the girl have reached a settlement. If there is a consensus on the issue, let it be over in that way. We will not allow communal polarisation. Certain quarters wanted to foment trouble. The girl’s father is now ready to send her to school without a headscarf. Let the issue be over there.”
Meanwhile, the Christian school’s principle, Heleena Alby has said that the school has moved High Court on the matter. Alby said that the school will “ensure that all students follow the school uniform. The school has over 100 Muslim students, and only one has raised the demand that she be allowed to wear a Hijab.”
Interestingly, Sivankutty’s sudden change in stance came after a pushback from the Catholic church which came out in opposition of the state government’s directive.
In an official statement, the media commission of the Syro-Malabar Church said, “By rekindling the issue, the minister has allowed the communal elements to step in. The minister’s statement is meant to help only the communal forces which have been creating trouble in Christian educational institutions in the state.”
Similarly, Catholic church’s mouthpiece, Deepika Daily, also published an editorial criticising Sivankutty’s blatant Muslim appeasement.
Over the years, Kerala has witnessed rise in Islamic dominance in various forms be it conversions, Love Jihad, or involvement in terrorism. What further exacerbates the situation is an unreal demographic shift with a rise in the Muslim population in the state.
The alarm over rising Islamist menace was first raised by Achuthanandan, who was the Chief Minister of Kerala between 2006 and 2011. Back in 2010, he warned against an organised campaign to Islamise Kerala in what he called “Love Jihad.” He had stated, quoting intelligence reports and High Court inputs, that the Popular Front of India (PFI) had resorted to using love, money, and marriage to bring non-Muslims of a young age into Islam.
CASA and fight against love jihad
In April 2022, OpIndia reported how the Christian Association and Alliance for Social Action (CASA) participated in the 10th Ananthapuri Hindu Maha Sammelan held in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. The group was a part of a discussion on ‘love jihad, land jihad and halal economy.’
The association of CASA with Hindu outfits dates back to 2009 when it joined hands with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to thwart attempts by Islamists to lure Hindu, Christian girls under the pretext of love.
While speaking about the matter, the then CASA office-bearer KS Samson had vowed to co-operate with VHP to tackle the menace of ‘love jihad.’ The report added, “Samson said some days ago, CASA got to know about a Hindu family in a Christian parish where a school going girl was the victim. We immediately referred it to the VHP,he said, adding the saffron outfit has helped them in many cases.”
