Right wing doesn't want Muslim women in colleges: AMU students slam demand to ban burqas, skull caps

A group of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students have complained to the local administration after some right-wing leaders allegedly asked a college in the city to ban burqas and skull caps. In a memorandum handed over to the Chief Proctor of Dharm Samaj Degree College on Wednesday, right wing student leader Amit Goswami and others warned that if the college authorities failed to take steps in this regard within next 72 hours, they would launch a drive among students for wearing saffron outfits while attending classes.

The AMU Students’ Union took notice of the right wing activists’ demand seeking the ban at Dharm Samaj Degree College, Aligarh and of their threat to impose the saffronisation on the college campus and put out an official statement expressing concern. "AMU Students’ Union expresses deep concern about the statement threatening the women of the minority community on their dress code. These saffron right wing groups are filled with hate and they do not want to see Muslim girls in the institutions of higher education. Such elements are a threat to constitutional values of freedom to education and freedom to the dress code for Indian minorities. These elements are not the enemies of Muslims alone, they threaten Sikhs, Dalits and Christian as well. The demand to impose dress code is a fascist demand that threatens the multicultural heritage of India. The threat of launching a drive among students for wearing saffron outfits while attending classes is political in nature and is an attempt to politicize the educational institution. These elements acting in the name of Hinduism are defaming the Hindu religion. AMUSU calls upon college authorities to act against these students attempting to damage the campus peace," the statement said.

"This is not the first time they (the right-wingers) said something like this, at a college in Firozabad some time ago they tried to impose the same thing. While our constitution guarantees us the right to wear the type of clothing respecting our religion, these people cannot really put a ban on that. We will be going to the Senior Superintendent of Police with a complaint and demand that the students of the college get justice and strict action is taken against these people trying to cause communal discord," M Salman Imtiaz, the AMU students' union president told Edex.

Reacting to the ban, a group of students, not a part of the students' union at AMU on Thursday also handed over a memorandum to the additional city magistrate, seeking action against the right-wing leaders. They termed the demand for a ban "a step for spreading religious discord". They said the veil and skull cap were part of their "cultural identity" and should not be viewed merely as a "religious symbol".