On the second day of colleges reopening in Karnataka, after they were shut over the dress code row, several campuses saw confusion among college managements and staff as to where the High Court’s interm order is to be enforced. The day also saw, like Wednesday, several hijab-clad girl students being turned away for refusing to remove the headscarf and protests by parents and students.
To seek clarity
In Mysuru, 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 are confronting them on its interpretation.
Students and parents in some degree colleges said that though the Higher Education Department had made it clear that the rules on dress code did not apply to degree colleges, many were making students remove hijab before entering campuses. In places such as Hunsur in Mysuru district and Shanivarsanthe in Kodagu district, a section of students returned without attending classes.
No exam
Enraged by the denial of entry to hijab-clad students, hundreds of youth, both boys and girls, staged a protest outside Saraladevi Government First Grade Degree College in Ballari on Thursday. “Many students with hijabs had come to college to write internal tests and around 60 of them took off their hijabs upon our request. Around 20 students could not write the papers and we will make alternative arrangement for them,” Prof. Hemanna, principal of the college, told the mediapersons after the protest was withdrawn.
‘Provide changing room’
In Belagavi, a delegation of Anjuman-e-Islam met the Deputy Commission and discussed the various challenges being faced by the community. Firose Sait, former MLA , who was a member of the delegation, said that Muslim girls were facing “humiliation” by college authorities, the police and some media persons. He asked the Deputy Commissioner to call a meeting of school and college authorities and ask them to implement the circular in a manner that would cause the least convenience to students.
“We told him that girls were being stopped outside the gates by the police and teachers, and made to take out their scarves in public. This can be embarrassing and has to be stopped. We also told him to provide changing rooms for girls in all schools and colleges. We asked him to see that mediapersons do not chase the girls wearing hijab,” he said.
Tension prevailed in Sadashiv Nagar Cross in Belagavi on Thursday, after authorities in a para-medical college stopped hijab-clad girls from attending classes. Some male students too shouted slogans in solidarity with their classmates. Ravi Patil, BJP leader who is the chairman of the college committee, described the incident as unfortunate. “We will counsel students and parents about this,” he said.
40 stay away
The 40-odd degree students of the G. Shankar Government First Grade College in Udupi stayed away from classes for the second day in succession following refusal of the college to allow hijab in the classroom.
These students were among the girls who were asked by the college management on Wednesday to remove hijab and enter the classroom as per the interim order of the High Court.
After seeing statement by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai that the interim order applied to educational institutions that had a dress code and also of Higher Education Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan that it was not applicable to degree colleges, these students again came to the college on Thursday. Parents of some of these students too accompanied their children. However, the principal insisted that the college had a dress code followed since 2009.
‘Conduct online classes’
In Shivamogga, several girl students of Kamala Nehru Memorial First Grade College staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office opposing the restrictions on hijab. Deputy Commissioner Selvamani R. said that the girl students wanted the college to conduct online classes so that they would not miss their education.
In Shivamogga, several girl students of Kamala Nehru Memorial First Grade College staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office opposing the restrictions on hijab. Deputy Commissioner Selvamani R. said that the girl students wanted the college to conduct online classes so that they would not miss their education.
