St Rita’s Public School in Palluruthy, managed by the Latin Catholic Church, declared a two-day closure on Monday and Tuesday following a dispute over a student’s insistence on wearing a hijab, which violates the school’s dress code. The decision, made after a Parent-Teacher Association meeting, aimed to de-escalate rising tensions, reported The New Indian Express, on Monday, October 13.

Details of the dispute

The issue surfaced when a student’s parents demanded she be allowed to wear a hijab, prompting a confrontation. Principal Sr Heleena Alby’s letter to parents on October 12 cited “mental stress caused by the situation and as teachers and non-teaching staff have taken leave,” noting the student wore “attire not permitted by the school.” Sr Heleena told a TV channel that the student’s father and six others created a scene on October 10, stating, “Their approach was provocative and threatening in nature.” She filed a complaint with the Palluruthy police.

Commitment to discipline

Sr Heleena emphasised the school’s dedication to “providing value-based education in accordance with the discipline and regulations of the institution,” urging parental cooperation to maintain order.

The incident reflects growing tensions between Christian and Muslim communities in central Kerala. A similar dispute over a prayer room at Nirmala College, Muvattupuzha, occurred in July 2024. Additionally, a recent Kerala High Court ruling declared land in Munambam, claimed by the Waqf Board but occupied by 600 mostly Latin Catholic families, as non-waqf, further straining relations.