Campuses near normal but hijab row persists

The situation on the campus front limped to near normalcy in Mysuru on Thursday though there were a few incidents in which students returned home on being denied permission to wear the hijab in classrooms. Deputy Director of Pre University Education (DDPUE) Srinivas Murthy said some students of a private college in the city returned home without attending classes as they were denied permission to wear hijab in classrooms in compliance with the interim orders of the High Court of Karnataka. But in most cases students were attired in the uniforms prescribed by their respective institutions. There are 257 colleges in Mysuru district of which 15 colleges do not have prescribed uniforms. There was a minor altercation among a section of girls and the college authorities in Hunsur on the issue of wearing hijab. Their parents and community leaders too joined the issue but the police present did not allow it to escalate. The students and the parents were told that as the issue was in court the interim orders have to be complied with following which two students opted to attend classes while the rest returned home. A similar situation prevailed in a college in Shanivarsanthe in Kodagu district where a few students returned home without attending classes. But they demanded online classes to be conducted for them in view of the impending examinations. However, there were no untoward incidents as prohibitory orders under section 144 has been clamped around a radius of 200 metres of all colleges. Meanwhile, the managements of a few colleges have decided to write to the government seeking clarification on the interim orders of the High Court as various organisations and groups are confronting them on its interpretation. ‘’The staff fear they could be jailed for contempt of court and hence are erring on what they believe to be the safe side’’, said an official from the Education Department.