Karnataka college students wear saffron scarves to protest against hijab in class

The administration of a state-run degree college in Koppa, Karnataka, was taken off guard after several students wore saffron scarves to protest Muslim women wearing hijabs in class.
Following a protest by students asking permission to wear saffron shawls to lessons, the principal of Balagadi First Grade College in Karnataka's Chikmagalur district suspended the dress code till January 10. Professor S Anantha, the principal, has invited parents to a meeting on January 10 to discuss the clothing code for children.
College officials in Koppa taluk's Balagadi have emphasised that females can wear their hijab everywhere on campus except in classes.

The college has 850 students enrolled. On January 4, a group of about 50 students protested, requesting that saffron shawls be permitted to be worn while attending courses, just as Muslim ladies are allowed to wear hijabs. Because of the variety of courses provided at the institution, the principal stated distinct dress rules. Some students, however, have objected to the scarf worn by some of the girls. She went on to say that they are requesting permission to wear saffron shawls. When the subject was discussed three years ago, a decision was made in a parents' meeting that Muslim girls could wear a scarf to cover their heads. New students have now enrolled at the college. They're bringing it up again, she added.

Also Read | Omicron surge: Karnataka orders weekend curfew, shuts schools as Covid-19 spikes

The school has postponed the dress code until the parents' meeting on January 10. Vinay Koppa, a second-year B.Com student, reported that Muslim ladies wore hijab to college. He stated that three years ago, a similar debate developed in the institution, and it was determined that no one should come to the campus wearing a hijab, but that in recent days, some ladies have been wearing it. As a result, we resolved to wear saffron scarves to college. Furthermore, he said that the college administration had repeatedly requested that Muslim women refrain from wearing hijab on campus, but they had refused. As a result, the students threatened to escalate their protest if the issue was not addressed in the next few days. 
 

• Chikmagalur
• Hijab
• Karnataka
• Muslim
• saffron scarves