-Reshma Ravishanker

For the third day in a row and continuing, students at the Kundapura PU College are seeking permission to be allowed into the classroom wearing a Hijab.

A fall out of the Udupi Hijab controversy where six students of the Udupi Girls Pre University College have been denied permission to attend classes wearing a Hijab since December 2021, this issue has drawn several reactions from across people on Friday.

On Friday morning, videos of male students gathering outside the Kundapura College in large numbers seeking that the female students be allowed into classes with Hijab was widely circulated on social media. They sat on the street outside the college seeking that their classmates be allowed to attend class.

In yet another development, the pro-right wing students in Kundapura who donned saffron scarves to college in protest against Hijab being permitted were also asked to stay out of the college by the management.

Meanwhile, the six students who had been on a protest at Udupi produced a document with a dress code prescribed from the College that allowed them to wear ‘scarves’. They were permitted to do so, given that the color of the scarf matches that of the uniform. The college authorities have not confirmed the authenticity of the document.

Responding to these incidents, Karnataka’s home minister Araga Jnanendra said that educational institutions must overcome the barriers of religion and promote a sense of unity among students. “No one should come to school to practice their religion,” he said.

“Children should develop patriotic love for the country. We believe that all people, irrespective of caste and religion, are equal. Religious practices should be confined to temples and mosques. Police have been instructed to look into religious organizations behind students,” he warned. 

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