A circular issued by the Department of Education of the Lakshadweep district panchayat seems to have triggered a fresh controversy in the archipelago, which has been on the boil in recent years, with the move being dubbed an indirect attempt to discourage students from wearing skull cap or hijab, which are common among the majority community in the island.
The circular issued to Principals/headmistress in all government senior secondary schools sought to constitute a monthly cash award of ₹500 for wearing the best uniform, which, however, did not consider students wearing ‘extra items’ as part of the uniform. The allegation is that the reference to ‘extra items’ is an euphemism for skull cap or hijab.
Nizamuddin K.I., former member of the Lakshadweep district panchayat, said that the larger public saw it as an attempt to trample on their religious and cultural traditions. “Directly asking not to wear these religious symbols would have triggered a big backlash. That is why they are not directly referring to it,” he said.
Five categories
Under the scheme, a boy and a girl each will receive the ‘best uniform wearing award’ in five different categories – pre-primary, primary, upper primary, secondary and senior secondary – in a school. Schools have been asked to constitute a committee chaired by the principal or headmistress to select the students wearing the best uniform on the basis of the approved guidelines.
Critics have alleged that the direction to principals to ensure “strict compliance with the guidelines” while selecting students for the award is a thorough giveaway of the intention behind the entire exercise. The circular also attached eight guidelines.
Apart from a description of the scheme, the guidelines sought to explain the objectives of the scheme, the targeted beneficiaries, eligibility criteria, quantum of benefit and method of payment of the cash award. However, it is in the detailed eight-point description under the head ‘method of applying for selection’ that the critics saw red.
Controversial point
“At the end of the month, the number of sessions in which each student has worn all the items in the prescribed (full) uniform will be counted and recorded. While counting the sessions of full uniform, the sessions in which the student wore extra items will be ignored,” read a point.
“For some time authorities have been asking school principals to comply strictly with the uniform code whereby students were being asked to refrain from wearing skull cap and hijab. The award seems another ruse to institutionalise it,” said Muhammed Salih, a resident of Amini island practising in the Kerala High Court.
