Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Feb 17: On the second day of the college reopening on Thursday February 17, about 60 final year degree girl students of the government Dr G Shankar women's first grade college here returned home after that they were told to take off the Hijabs before attending classes.
Classes are continuing for the rest of the students in a peaceful manner. Police have been deployed around the college premises to ensure that no unsavoury incidents happen.
The girl students demanded to be given in writing the statement of the Karnataka government that there was no uniform code for degree students. They insisted that for them, both religion and education are important and that they are not prepared to attend classes without wearing the Hijabs. They therefore asked to be allowed to wear Hijabs in the classrooms.
One of the girls told the media, "The chief minister has said that there is no compulsion on hijab removal for degree students. But when we came to the college to ask about it, we were told this college under CDC and the CM's statement does not apply. The CDC has said that students should take off their Hijabs inside the classroom.
"We will not attend classes till the court order is issued. We will not remove Hijabs. Will you remove your garment if someone asks you to? This is part of our everyday life. We have urged the college to hold online classes for us," she said.
"The college has said that it will hold online exam or re-exams for us. We have made it clear that we cannot remove Hijabs no matter what. There was no objection to Hijab in our college before this. We came to this college because it allowed Hijab. It is not right to ask us to remove it all of a sudden. It is wrong to punish us for an issue that happened in another college," she said.
The girl students came to the college along with parents to discuss the issue of appearing for the examinations.they said that their education is being spoiled because of the confusion created by the government. They wished that the high court clarification came as quickly as possible and that they would not attend physical classes till then.
The girl students stated that their classmates belonging to other faiths have been extending full support to them in academic activities.
Additional superintendent of police, Siddalingappa, speaking on the occasion, said that the situation all over the district is peaceful. He said that MGM college will be reopened on Friday as examinations are scheduled.
He informed that some Muslim girl students of Dr G Shankar women's first grade college are attending classes while those who are not prepared to remove their Hijabs have returned. He added that all steps have been undertaken to maintain peace as well as law and order situation in the district.
It may be recalled that colleges reopened across the state on Wednesday February 16 after over a week of being shut over the Hijab versus saffron shawl controversy that erupted in Udupi and went on to garner national and international attention. A higher bench of the Karnataka high court is presently hearing the case on a daily basis, and last week had issued an interim order prohibiting students from wearing religious attire in schools and colleges until the final judgement is pronounced.