India: Classes resume in Karnataka schools, colleges after verdict on hijab
FIR lodged against activists of the Popular Front of India for forcing shops closure
Bengaluru: Barring a few incidents of protests, the schools and colleges in Karnataka on Wednesday resumed functioning across the state after the Special Bench of the High Court passed a verdict dismissing the petitions seeking permission to allow hijab in classrooms.
As many as 22 students in Chikkamagaluru IDSG College staged a protest demanding their right to wear hijab. They gathered at the entrance of the college and staged the agitation holding placards.
The students at Madhugiri Government College in Tumakuru district also protested after they were turned away from classes.
SC to consider listing of appeals post-Holi break
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would list for hearing after Holi break appeals challenging Karnataka High Court’s order that dismissed petitions against the ban on Hijab in educational institutions. A bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Justices AS Bopanna and Hima Kohli said it will consider listing the pleas after Holi vacation after senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for petitioners, sought an urgent hearing. “The urgency is this that there are several girls who have to attend colleges. List this on Monday,” Hegde said. To this, the CJI said, “Others have mentioned too. We will see, we will post the matter. Let us see we will post the matter after Holi vacations.” Some of the petitioners before the High Court have approached the apex court challenging the order upholding the Karnataka government’s order which directs strict enforcement of schools and colleges uniform rules. One of the appeals in the top court has alleged “step-motherly behaviour of government authorities which has prevented students from practicing their faith and resulted in an unwanted law and order situation”. The appeal said the High Court in its impugned order “had vehemently failed to apply its mind and was unable to understand the gravity of the situation as well as the core aspect of the Essential Religious Practices enshrined under Article 25 of the Constitution of India”. “Wearing of Hijab or headscarf is a practice that is essential to the practice of Islam,” it added. A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi on Tuesday held that the prescription of uniform is a reasonable restriction that students could not object to and dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions saying they are without merit.
The schools and colleges saw mostly full attendance and a large number of students, including those belonging to the minority community, attended classes without hijab as per the prescribed uniform.
The pre-university education institutes also started operating with police cover in the coastal town of Udupi. The Udupi Pre-University College where the agitation on hijab, which turned into a major crisis threatening law and order situation in the state, also started working without any incidents of disturbance.
The six students, who started the agitation, have stated that they won’t attend classes until they are allowed into classes with hijab. Udupi BJP MLA Raghupathy Bhat, who is also the President of the Pre-University College had requested them to attend classes following rules of uniform and he has also assured that the school management would arrange for making up for loss of classes and they shouldn’t keep any bitterness towards them. However, the girls have rejected the offer.
Udupi district administration has continued the prohibitory orders on gathering, celebration, protests. The police department has deputed three platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and five platoons of the District Armed Reserve (DAR) in Udupi.
The students attended classes normally in Shivamogga district, which witnessed large-scale violence after the murder of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha.
In Yadgir district many students have returned to homes after the college managements refused to allow them to write preparatory exams with hijab. The government college management in Chikkaballapur asked a girl student, who attended classes with hijab, to go to a separate room and remove hijab.
Karnataka police, meanwhile, lodged FIRs on activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) including an advocate for allegedly attempting to force closure of shops and observe bandh against verdict of the Special Bench of the High Court on hijab issue, police said on Wednesday.
According to police, cases has been registered against the accused persons at Bhatkal police station. The cases have been lodged against Azeem Ahmad, Mohiddeen Abeer, Shareek and advocate Taimur Hussain Gawayi.
The police have lodged FIRs on IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and 290 (public nuisance). The accused have forced closure of shops and commercial establishments on March 15 against the verdict of the High Court on hijab row.
The coastal town of Bhatkal is regarded as communally sensitive region and the police have beefed up security in the area. The ‘Tanjeem’ organisation in Bhatkal had given out a call for bandh in the town and many traders have closed their shops voluntarily.
The ruling BJP and Hindutva organisations have alleged that PFI, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Campus Front of India (CFI) are behind raking up the hijab row in the state.
