Hijab Row: Schools Reopens, No Religious Clothing Allowed

Students were directed to take off their Hijabs: visuals

Bengaluru: Ahead of the Hijab row, Muslim students at some Karnataka schools were directed to remove their hijabs before entering the campus on Monday.

An interim High Court order that said educational institutions could re-open (after having been shut last week) but no religious clothing would be allowed.

The visuals were circulated by news agency ANI, showcases a teacher stopping students in hijabs at the gates of a government-run school in Mandya district and ordering them to "remove that, remove that."

Moreover, the visuals also showed some parents arguing as their children are stopped from entering the school. After a heated discussion, the girls removed the hijab (and wore just a face mask, in line with Covid protocols) and entered the school.

One man - the father of two girls - held out for a while but relented after the teacher had an extended discussion, and his children were allowed to attend school after removing their hijabs.

According to a report of ANI quoted an unnamed parent is saying: "Requesting (teachers) to allow students (to wear hijabs till they reach) classrooms... can be taken off after that... but they're not allowing entry."

Karnataka minister Narayan Gowda, who is the in-charge of the district, told reporters seven of the students refused to sit for an exam today if they were forced to remove the hijab.

"Seven students with hijabs were sitting for exams but the officers there refused permission. They insisted on being allowed to wear it... their parents were called and all seven then walked out of the exam hall and went home," he said.

Other visuals being widely shared online show teachers (from the same school in Mandya) being ordered to remove burqas before entering the school campus; they were shown removing the burqas by the side of the road and not inside the school building.

Karnataka schools (up to Class 10) re-opened today amid controversy over the state barring Muslim students from wearing a hijab during classes. Classes 11 and 12 are closed till Wednesday.