Karnataka: Mangaluru college issues notice to students who held a presser over Hijab row

In a key development, University College, Mangaluru, issued a show-cause notice to the students who held a press conference on the Hijab row against the college and its principal on Monday. Dr Anasuya Rai, in-charge Principal of University College while speaking to ANI underlined how there have been disturbances on the premises of the educational institution in the past few days over Hijab, even though the order by the court on the uniform was passed months back. 

"Despite University's academic calendar starting on May 12, due to hijab issue, we decided to conduct online classes till 16th May. This was because, in the meeting of the Mangaluru University syndicate, when I requested University officers over Uniform Policy, they said to wait till 16th as they had kept it on the agenda. The decision was taken on the 16th."

"On the 16th night, I sent WhatsApp message to all student groups that when they come to class they've to come in uniform & not with headscarf. The next day, I put out an official circular," said Rai, adding how 16 students in spite of the order, came to college wearing hijabs.

It is pertinent to mention here that the University authorities did not allow the students to enter the campus on Saturday as well as Monday, complying with the order of the Karnataka High Court. The students thereafter went to the Deputy Commissioner's office and submitted a memorandum to allow them to wear Hijab. They have been contending that the High Court's order pertained to the pre-university colleges and not degree colleges.

Karnataka HC's verdict on Hijab row

On March 15, the Karnataka HC bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justices Krishna Dixit and JM Khazi ruled that Hijab is not an essential religious practice. It was hearing the plea of students of Government P.U. College for Girls, Udupi, who sought permission to attend classes wearing a Hijab and a direction to the effect that it is an "essential practice" of Islam.

In its judgment, the court answered key questions pertaining to the Hijab row and said that the prescription of the school uniform is only a reasonable restriction that students cannot object to. 

The judgment observed, "There is absolutely no material placed on record to prima facie show that wearing of hijab is a part of essential religious practice in Islam and that the petitioners have been wearing hijab from the beginning. This apart, it can hardly be argued that the hijab being a matter of attire, can be justifiably treated as fundamental to the Islamic faith. It is not that if the alleged practice of wearing hijab is not adhered to, those not wearing hijab become the sinners, Islam loses its glory and it ceases to be a religion."