When Hijab Is Not Just A Piece Of Cloth To Cover The Head

Hatred is a very underestimated emotion: Jim Morrison

- Vinay Madhav

Of course, every one of us underestimated the six little girls aged between 16-18, when they arrived at Udupi Government Junior Women's college in the last week of January 2022, seeking permission to sit inside the classes wearing Hijab or religious scarf.

It was nothing unusual for the girls from the minority community to wear Hijab and come to college. However, before entering classes, they would loosen the knot, drop it over their shoulders and attend the classes. Besides, it was all girls' college.

The college staff and Principal found the demand strange, if not unreasonable and tried convincing the girls that the government's uniform rules did not permit wearing Hijab inside the class rooms. However, the girls were adamant and contended that they were following their religious customs and they had been given the right to practice their religion by the Constitution of India.

The College Management Committee had to be involved. By rules, Chairman of the Committee is local MLA and here it was Raghupathi Bhat from BJP. The Committee held a meeting with the parents of the children and tried convincing them. Some local religious leaders tried to intervene and counsel the girls, but in vain.

Shocker came to the Committee when the news about six girls being denied entry into college for wearing Hijab started flashing in the media. Contrary to earlier practices, the news did not originate from the local media and went higher up. It had appeared in National media before regional media, from where local media picked up the News item. A day later, the government realised that the news first flashed not in India, but in neighboring Pakistan.