The six Muslim girl students of the Government Pre-University Girls College in the coastal town of Udupi did not turn up for classes on March 16, a day after their petition seeking permission to wear hijabs inside classrooms was dismissed by the Karnataka High Court.
In its 129-page order, the court had 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. The girls stuck to their stand that they will not enter the college without the headscarf and would fight the case legally. They were absent when the preparatory exams of the second pre-university classes were going on.
In Kamala Nehru College in Shivamogga, which had seen disturbances over the issue earlier, 15 girls returned home saying that they will not enter the college without wearing their hijab. The 15 girls arrived with burqas and hijabs but the college management barred entry and they decided not to attend classes. One of them told reporters that the hijab was their religious right and identity and they cannot enter the college without it.
"Today was the last day to submit our assignments but we are not allowed inside the class. We requested them (college authorities) to allow us but the college said the court order has to be followed. It is not the fault of the principal or the teachers. Actually, we did not get justice," another girl said.
Meanwhile, in the Muslim-majority town of Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada, a section of traders observed a bandh to "lodge their dissatisfaction" over the Karnataka High Court order. Karnataka Higher Education Minister Dr CN Ashwathnarayan said that the government will not succumb to any threat from those "who wanted the High Court order pertaining to hijab in their favour". "We have to understand that we are Indians and Kannadigas first. The adamant posture of the girls that the order should have been in their favour is not proper. Our government will not succumb to any threats," he told reporters.
Meanwhile, Sri Ram Sena Chief Pramod Muthalik said his organisation is approaching the high court seeking contempt of court proceedings against Campus Front of India leader Attaullah Punjalkatte. "We have decided today in Dharwad that we will seek contempt of court proceedings against Attaullah for calling the court order unconstitutional," Muthalik said.
