Mangalore: Principal Sitarama Mayya Explains Stance on Scarf Issue
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (RS/CN)
Mangalore, Aug 19: Sitarama Mayya, principal, Sri Venkataramana Swamy (SVS) College, Bantwal, in a press meet here justified his stand and said, “ If one student is allowed to wear a scarf or a ‘burkha’, we will have to allow ‘namaz’ five times a day and the students from the Jain community might come naked as per their religious belief”.
Speaking on Wednesday August 19, he said that he is under pressure by some organizations so he decided to warn Aysha to not wear the scarf. He added that the organizations had also warned that other students will wear saffron shawls. But he did not name the organizations.
Mayya said that the college has its own regulations. He said that the institution has been functioning from 41 years and every year it has more than 20 percent of students from the minority community, but there have been no such issues in the history of the college.
“We will allow Aysha in college even today without the scarf,” said Mayya adding, “she is not banned from the college but she is not attending classes”.
He said that they were not allowing students to flaunt their religious affiliation and so students should obey the rules.
“Next year we are going to enforce the dress code and we will not allow any kind of dresses related to any religion”, said Ganesh Prabhu, correspondent of the college management. He added that they had not permitted students to wear the Sabarimala dress or ‘mala’.
“We are running an educational institution; we do not want any communal issues in our institution. We never discriminate between the students based on their religious identity. So many students from minority communities have studied in this college and are on good terms with the college”, said Prabhu.
The press meet was organized by the college regarding a programme at their institution.
Mangalore: Aysha Seeks DC’s Help to Resume Studies
Mangalore, Aug 19: Aysha Asmin, the first year B Com student of Sri Venkatramana Swami College (SVS), Bantwal, pleaded with the deputy commissioner (DC) on Wednesday August 19, to help her resume her education which has come to a stop after she was reprimanded for wearing a scarf over her head to college.
“I wear the scarf as per our religious belief, but the college principal has not allowed it”, Aysha told DC V Ponnuraj. “A student leader called Bharath warned me not to wear the scarf. Later, they started humiliating me and afterwards when I met the principal he also told me not to wear the scarf because then other students will begin saffron shawls”, she added.
Her father Mohammed said that other colleges were not willing to admit a new student now because classes have started nearly a month ago. He pleaded that for one year, his daughter be allowed to continue in the same college.
Ponnuraj said that he will send a notice to the principal of the college and would also write to the government. He added that the collegiate education board will intervene in this issue as it can give directions to the college.
Aysha has now stopped attending college, and remains at home even as internal exams are being held.
Jamath-e-Islami Hind leader Shabbir, and Students Organization of India convener Nisar were present during the submission of the memorandum to the DC.