Karnataka Hijab Row: HC asks students to keep off religious attire till verdict
Schools and colleges in Karnataka have been shut for the past three days, but not due to Covid-19. This time, the educational institutions had to down the shutters due to a communally sensitive issue that has cropped up in the state – about whether wearing a Hijab in educational institutions is the right of students or not.
After searing protests threatened to undermine the law and order situation in the state, the closure of schools and colleges was ordered till the Karnataka High Court gives a mandate. So far, 16 petitioners, originally 6, have asked the Karnataka High Court to allow them to wear Hijab over their uniform to educational institutions as part of their religious and cultural rights.
On February 9, 2022, Wednesday, a single-judge bench had referred the case to a larger bench. The case entered Day 3 of the hearing today, February 10. Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice JM Khazi were on the bench.
Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde appeared for Udupi students and Advocate Devadatt Kamat argued for Kundapura students.
The Karnataka High Court on February 10, 2022, urged the schools and colleges to reopen but asked the protesting students and petitioners to return without insisting on wearing any form of religious clothing.
Karnataka HC bench proposes to reopen schools & colleges immediately, asks students to not insist on religious dress.@nabilajamal_ & @nolanentreeo bring in more details.#HijabRow #Karnataka #ITVideo #5iveLIVE | @ShivAroor pic.twitter.com/lCEJtkzf9H
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) February 10, 2022
Petitioners had sought an interim order from the High Court to let the students go back to schools and colleges wearing Hijab till the matter is resolved. Advocate Kamat told the Court that the academic session was ending soon and exams would be held in March. Though the Court has urged reopening of educational institutions, the bench has asked protesters to return without wearing Hijab.
The Hijab row that started in one district in Karnataka, has now spread to several other cities and states. Protests demanding the right to wear Hijab in educational institutions were witnessed in Delhi and Kolkata as well.
On the other hand, a petition regarding the same was filed in the Supreme Court earlier on February 10, but the apex court refused to entertain it, citing that the Karnataka High Court was already hearing the matter.
The Karnataka High Court will now resume hearing in the Hijab row at 2.30 pm Monday, February 14, 2022.