‘Attack On Religious Freedom’: Burqa Ban At Mumbai College Triggers Student Protest

Mumbai: A new dress code directive at Vivek Vidyalaya & Junior College in Goregaon (West), Mumbai, has led to widespread protests after the institution barred the use of burqas and niqabs inside classrooms.

While the students are calling it an attack on their religious freedom, the college administration maintains that the rule is part of its uniform and anti-cheating policy.

Several female students gathered outside the college premises, demanding the withdrawal of the ban on burqas inside the classrooms. According to students, they were not informed about this restriction during the admission process and clearly mentioned that they wouldn’t have taken admission in the college if they knew about the ban in advance. They threatened to sit on a hunger strike if the directive was not revoked.

The college has announced that the restriction was implemented after a burqa-clad woman was caught cheating during an exam last year. The administration said the ban was meant to maintain discipline and prevent malpractices.

AIMIM Women’s Wing Joins Protest

AIMIM Mumbai Women’s Wing vice-president and lawyer Jahanara Shaikh joined the protesting students, expressing that the party would escalate the issue if the burqa ban was not lifted and if needed would bring forward all the AIMIM leaders, including Asaduddin Owaisi, should the matter remain unresolved.

Shaikh said they were prepared to stage a hunger strike along with their children outside the college if the circular was not amended. She questioned why girls wearing burqas were being restricted inside classrooms when, according to her, students from other communities were allowed to display religious symbols such as tilak and kalava on their foreheads.

She also affirmed that the students wearing burqas were not allowed inside the campus yesterday, despite having informed the authorities about their objections. A police complaint has been filed by the protesting students and AIMIM representatives.

Dress Code Maintains Uniformity: Ex-MP Sanjay Nirupam

Former MP and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader Sanjay Nirupam supported the college’s decision, stating that the dress codes would help maintain uniformity among students in the classrooms.

“Every college has a dress code. It's a good thing that Muslim girls are being allowed to wear burqas. It's just prohibited in the classroom. This is to make all students look the same. Now, where does this insult Islam or harass Muslim girls come from? It's not right for a Muslim to argue about this. Muslim girls should focus on their education in class,” he said.

He stated that the ban does not target any religion and emphasized that Muslim girls are still allowed to wear the burqa elsewhere on campus, just not during classroom hours.

What College Circular Says

The college’s official circular outlines a detailed dress code that must be strictly adhered to by the students and that they must wear “appropriate and decent clothing” while on campus.

The updated circular mentions in detail what all the students are allowed and not allowed to wear on campus.

For girls, the circular specifies that burqas, niqabs and other face-covering religious garments must be removed before entering classrooms. Hijabs are permitted for girls. Boys are not allowed to wear hats, badges or accessories that represent a religious symbol.

Protest Continues, Situation Remains Tense

With students refusing to withdraw their demand and AIMIM’s women wing supporting their protest, the standstill between the protesters and the institution continues. Unless the college amends the rule, student demonstrations and hunger strike plans are expected to continue over the coming days. The college is yet to issue a fresh statement addressing the ongoing demonstrations.

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