Student activists in Delhi, on March 16, said the Karnataka High Court's judgment on hijab was ''disappointing'' and asserted that uniforms should be inclusive of social and religious practices. In its 129-page order, the High Court has held that the hijab is not an essential religious practice and upheld the Karnataka government's order banning the use of any cloth on the campus.
At a press conference, as reported by news agency PTI, several Muslim women students and activists spoke about the court's order and put forth a series of demands. Huma Masih, a student activist, said, "The hijab issue should have stirred a healthy discussion on the culture of uniforms. It should have started a discussion on whether uniforms are inclusive and democratic, but no one is talking about it."
Simra Ansari of Jamia Millia Islamia said that there are some people who do not want Muslim women to get an education and are forcing them to choose between studies and their identity. "Whenever Muslim women have come forward to talk about their rights, there are some people from a specific ideology who have had issues. This (hijab ban) is a systematic way to stop Muslim women from getting educated by forcing them to choose between their studies and identity. Through this stage, I want to say that we will attain our right to get educated and also keep our identity. We will not choose," she said.
Khalida Parveen, a social activist, said that she was ''disappointed'' and ''angry'' over the court's decision. "There is no guarantee that Muslim women, when they go to a bank or some public place wearing a hijab, will not be subjected to moral policing. If any untoward incident happens to them, who will be responsible? The Central Government talks about 'Beti Bachao' but the State Government goes against it," she said. The activist here was referring to the incident that occurred in Bihar where a woman was denied cash by a bank employee because she was wearing a hijab.
The speakers said uniforms should be inclusive of religious and social practices in a diverse country like India. They demanded that cases registered against those who participated in protests against the hijab ban be withdrawn.
