Karnataka college bans hijabs and Saffron Scarves

Ground Report | New Delhi: Karnataka college bans hijabs; A state university in Karnataka's Chikkamagaluru district was wearing saffron scarves as a way to protest against Muslim women wearing hijabs in classrooms, the university decided on Wednesday, January 12, to ban both hijabs and saffron scarves on campus.

Director Ananth Murthy was quoted as saying by The Indian Express: "Officials were part of the meeting, and it was decided that Hindu students will not wear saffron scarves and Muslim students will not wear hijabs but may wear a shawl to cover their heads. If someone violates the rule, they will be fired from the university."

The undergraduate university has about 850 students of whom a quarter are Muslim. A faculty member, who did not reveal his name, said some people were trying to instigate hate.

Notably, most of the government-run undergraduate universities in the state do not have uniforms, although Balagadi is an exception.

In 2018, the university faced the same problem and the rule was introduced. An official who works in the higher education department said the dress code issue "has come up in recent years." (Karnataka college bans hijabs)

However, Campus Front of India (Karnataka) Secretary of State Syed Sarfaraz Gangavathi welcomed the decision of the university authorities. "The constitution allows the wearing of hijab or saffron shawls, but it must not be instigated by anyone or politically motivated," he said.

Former Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) National Secretary Harsha Narayan said schools and universities should stay away from religious practices. “We are ready to join any organization (including Campus Front of India) to keep religious practices out of schools and universities,” he added.

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