Hijab row: Protest against Karnataka govt’s ban at Pune’s Mahatma Phule Wada

(Written by Swarali Joshirao)

Opposing the Karnataka government’s hijab ban and the controversy around it, Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) Pune city unit organised a protest at Mahatma Phule Wada Thursday morning.

More than 200 people, mostly women, gathered to stage a protest against the hijab ban at educational institutions.

Slogans such as “Betiyon ko bachana hai, isliye BJP ko bhagana hai (have to save, girls so have to oust BJP)” and “Bhajpa hatao, desh bachao (Oust BJP, save the country)” rent the air at the protest site.

Prashant Jagtap, the NCP’s city chief, said, “It was never our culture to disrespect women. Whatever happened with Muskan is shameful. Karnataka government cannot deny Muslim women’s right to wear hijabs. BJP, RSS and all Hindutva organisations are conspiring to divide our unity and play vote bank politics based on religion. I appeal to all the Hindus, it is not just about Muslim women, tomorrow they may compel Hindu women to wear ghoonghats and sit at home. Article 19 empowers us to live freely in any territory of the country.”

One of the protesters, Sumaiya Sheikh, a 22-year-old MCA student, said, “Education is the space where you grow, it should be bereft of politics. I have studied at a convent as well as a Hindu school and no one denied me entry for my hijab. Tomorrow they might ban wearing jeans, it is wrong. It is my body, my choice. We live in a democracy which is based on unity in diversity. But I firmly believe protests should be peaceful, stone pelting is totally wrong. If colleges have uniforms, that’s a different matter, everyone must follow it but if not, hijabs should be allowed.”

Social worker Shalantai Bhojane, 60, said, “I dressed up traditionally for the protest to show the diversity of our country. BJP has politicised the issue. Such restrictions don’t suit the Constitution given to us by Dr B R Ambedkar. If they do not stop this, we women will stage more intense protests.”

Protesters said they selected Mahatma Phule Wada for the protest as when Savitribai Phule had initiated the movement for women’s education, Fatima Shaikh always accompanied her in her Burqa. “Both of them learnt together and inspired generations of women. Even she never decided who should wear what, then who are these people to decide? Till date it was fine and now suddenly burqa is not allowed. This is unfair,” said NCP leader Advocate Rupali Thombare.

President of the Minority Department and Khairul Ulum Madrasa teacher Maulana Shokin Sayyed said, “Constitutional rights have been curbed by the BJP government in Karnataka. India is a country of diverse population and we all live here in harmony. What kind of message are we giving to our future generations through such bans? They just say ‘beti bachao, beti padhao’ and ‘Sarva Dharma Sam Bhav’ but do not practice them.”