Tension at Karnataka college as students sport saffron scarves to protest hijab

“I have about 30 years of experience and this is my 11th place of work. Dress code was never a concern and it never became an issue. This is the second time I have come across such a situation. It happened in 2018 also and a parents’ meeting was called then. The local representatives and officials who were also part of it helped to pacify the situation,” he added.

At that meeting in 2018, he said, it was decided that no one should come to college wearing a hijab though they could wear a scarf over the head. “But for the past few days, some female students have been coming to college wearing (a hijab).”

An officer working in the higher education department said most government-run degree colleges in the state do not have uniforms though the one in Balagadi is an exception. “There is no dress code or policy as such. It was never a concern for anyone but the issue has cropped up in recent years,” he said.

In Udupi district, earlier this week, Muslim girls were stopped from entering the government PU college by the principal as they were wearing a hijab. However, they were allowed entry after they approached the deputy commissioner of Udupi Kurma Rao stating that their constitutional rights were being violated.