Six women staged a sit-in at an Udupi college, bringing the topic to national notice.
After Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai weighed in, an Indian state shut down high schools and institutions for three days.
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The Karnataka state government in southern India made the decision after student protests over Muslim women in the classroom turned violent.The state’s top court asked the chief justice on Wednesday to set up a larger bench to deliberate on two petitions filed on behalf of some of the Muslim women.
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Students at a government-run college protested against wearing hijabs, and the movement expanded to other colleges.
To oppose Muslim women wearing hijabs, several Hindu students dressed in the colour of their religion’s symbol, saffron shawls.
Earlier this week, Malala Yousafzai, who was 15 at the time of her Taliban assassination in Pakistan for advocating for girls’ education rights, called on Indian politicians to take action to “end the marginalisation of Muslim women.” Malala was 15 at the time of her assassination.
According to the 24-year-old campaigner, “refusing to allow girls to attend school while wearing hijabs is horrible.” The practise of objectification of women continues, whether they wear less or more.When it comes to minorities Muslims in India, the standoff has heightened fears and outrage among those who believe their constitutional rights to dress as they like are being violated.
In videos posted on social media on Tuesday, a Muslim woman was heckled by a swarm of young males who chanted slogans at her, and intense disputes erupted between students wearing hijabs and saffron scarves.
How did the squabble get started?
It was six teenage students at a government-run pre-university college – the equivalent of a high school – in Karnataka’s Udupi district who began protesting after they were prevented from attending lessons because they were wearing a hijab that drew widespread notice.
Udupi is one of three districts in Karnataka’s communally sensitive coastal region, which is a stronghold of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party. It is also a stronghold of Prime Minister Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Commentators frequently refer to the region as a “laboratory for majoritarian Hindu politics,” which is an accurate description. Karnataka is also ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The college said students could wear the hijab on campus but had to remove it in class. But the demonstrators said women should be allowed to cover their hair in class as well.
Few male teachers Men need to hide their hair. That’s why we hijab, “one student, Almas AH, told BBC Hindi.
The students denied acting on behalf of the Campus Front of India, the student wing of the militant Islamic group Popular Front of India.
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Indian Muslims were beaten and humiliated.
In India, where public demonstrations of devotion are popular, women wearing hijabs and burkas (the full Islamic veil) are not unusual. The college principal stated that the uniform helped ensure there was no prejudice among pupils and that the teacher could see the student’s face.
Meetings between students, college authorities, and government officials failed to resolve the issue.
How did it spread to other colleges?
The issue of Muslim women wearing hijabs had been raised in other colleges in Karnataka before the Udupi protest images went viral. Soon, Hindu students at other colleges began wearing saffron shawls to class, forcing officials to ban both.
A video filmed at a pre-university campus in Kundapur, Udupi district, last week enraged many. Male and female Hindu students began marching against their peers wearing hijabs.
Until Tuesday, when stone-throwing and even arson were reported in some locations hours before the court began considering the petition. Protests were suppressed by the use of colonial-era Section 144, which forbids gatherings of more than four.
A state investigation into the men’s raising of a saffron flag at their institution in Shivamogga district prompted an investigation.
When saffron shawl-clad guys approached a young woman wearing a headscarf in Mandya district, “Allahu Akbar” (God is wonderful) when college authorities dragged her away, she stayed firm as they screamed “Jai Shri Ram” (honour Lord Ram). Her college principal, later named Muskan, assured her that he would back her.
“The same thing happened to a couple other Muslim girls. Why should I listen to outsiders when the college authorities and principal never stopped us from wearing the burka? “The Indian Express reported. It was “minimal instances,” a senior police official told BBC Hindi.
What has the state government said?
Saffron scarves and headscarves should be banned on campuses, according to Karnataka Education Minister, Nagesh BC. In addition, he said “miscreants” were inciting the students to demonstrate.
It’s mostly political. These developments coincide with next year’s state assembly elections. ” On the political front of the Popular Front of India, Mr. Nagesh informed BBC Hindi.Students and others have been exhorted to “keep peace and unity” by Chief Minister Basavaraj S. Bommai.
How did the court rule?
A larger bench Justice Krishna Dixit stated Wednesday while hearing two petitions filed by Muslim women protestors. According to legal news website Live Law, “Considering the immensity of important concerns being disputed,” the court “considered” putting the papers in the hands of the chief justice to decide on a larger bench.
Unsurprisingly, one of the petitions asserts that choosing what to wear is a constitutional right. On the other hand, a recent state government order banning headscarves and hijabs from educational institutions is being questioned.
An interim order was also sought by their counsel, who stated that the government’s prohibition on hijab was unconstitutional and illegal.
As reported by Live Law, Judge Dixit stated that the petitioners could seek interim relief after the chief justice decides on a larger bench.
