All Karnataka high schools, colleges to be shut for next three days amid hijab row

The row erupted in January after an Udupi college barred hijab-clad girls from entering the classroom (Image: AP)

Amid the ongoing row over the use of hijab by Muslim girls in classrooms, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on February 8 announced the closure of all high schools and colleges in the state for the next three days.

"I appeal to all the students, teachers and management of schools and colleges as well as people of Karnataka to maintain peace and harmony," the chief minister tweeted.

"I have ordered closure of all high schools and colleges for next three days. All concerned are requested to cooperate," he said.

I appeal to all the students, teachers and management of schools and colleges as well as people of karnataka to maintain peace and harmony. I have ordered closure of all high schools and colleges for next three days. All concerned are requested to cooperate.

— Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) February 8, 2022

The decision comes amid parallel demonstrations outside several colleges in the southern Indian state, with pro-hijab groups protesting against the restrictions imposed on the Muslim girls and anti-hijab groups, mainly comprising of right-wing outfits, distributing saffron shawls to several Hindu students.

The announcement to shut down schools till February 12 also comes on a day when the Karnataka High Court is hearing a petition, moved by five girls studying in the Government Pre-University College in Udupi, challenging the ban on headscarves imposed inside the classrooms.

The controversy had, notably, erupted last month after this all girls-school had disallowed the students from using hijab - a head-covering used by Muslim women - inside the classrooms.

The aggrieved students, who began camping outside the college as a mark of protest, said it was their "constitutional right" to wear the hijab. One of the protesting girls said even though the college is only for female students, some of the professors teaching them are male, and therefore, they should be allowed to use the hijab in the classrooms as well.

The story swiftly cascaded across the internet, drawing news crews to the front of the government-run school in Udupi district.

Battle lines were swiftly drawn. The hijab-clad students continued their protest outside the school gate and sat huddled in a group, reading their lessons. The college staff, which said the students were defying uniform rules, remained unmoved.

A month on, more schools have begun implementing a similar ban on hijabs, forcing the states top court to step in. The matter is expected to be settled through the judicial order, which will decide whether the ban on hijab inside classrooms can be overturned.

Over the past two days, the protests by both pro and anti-hijab groups have escalated, reports said.

The events have prompted the state's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled government to ban clothes it said "disturb equality, integrity and public order", and some high schools had already declared a holiday to avoid communal trouble.

The uneasy standoff is considered to have raised fears among a section of the state's Muslim students. "What we are witnessing is a form of religious apartheid. The decree is discriminatory and it disproportionately affects Muslim women," A. H. Almas, an 18-year-old student who has been part of the pro-hijab protests, told The Associated Press.

So far, several meetings between the staff, government representatives and the protesting students have failed to resolve the issue. The state's education minister, B. C. Nagesh, has refused to lift the ban till the high court's order. He told reporters on February 6 that those unwilling to follow uniform dress code can explore other options.

For many Muslim women, the hijab is part of their Islamic faith. It has for decades been a source of controversy in some western countries, particularly in France, which in 2004 banned it from being worn in public schools. But in India, where Muslims make up almost 14 percent of the country's near-1.4 billion people, it is neither banned nor is its use restricted in public places.

In fact, women wearing hijab are a common sight in India, and for many of them, it symbolizes religious identity and is a matter of personal choice.

With inputs from agencies