Hijab controversy: Boys at two more colleges in coastal belt of Karnataka stay away from classes

Students at Milagres college in Udupi district stated that it is not proper on the part of the management to prevent hijab-clad girls from attending classes after the interim order of the High Court of Karnataka as they were being allowed to wear hijab earlier

Students in hijab and burqa refused to attend classes at G. Shankar First Grade College in Udupi and returned home on February 17, 2022. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU

The boys at Milagres College in Kallianpur in Udupi who stayed away from classes supporting Hijab-clad girls. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The row over the dress code has further vitiated the academic atmosphere in Karnataka’s coastal belt with more boys supporting the hijab-clad girls who have been staying away from classes, seeking permission to wear hijab in classrooms amid the interim order of the Karnataka High Court.

On February 18, some boys at the Milagres Degree College in Kallianpur in Udupi and at the Government First Grade College, Kavoor in Mangaluru stayed away from classes expressing solidarity with hijab-clad girls.

The agitating students at Milagres College gathered outside the gate on February 18 stating that it is not proper on the part of the college management to prevent hijab-clad girls from attending classes and internal examinations after the interim order of the court as they were being allowed to wear hijab earlier.

When contacted over phone, principal Vincent Alva told The Hindu that the college prescribes a dress code. It followed the government order to close down from February 9 to February 15, and to resume classes from February 16. But the college declared a revision holiday on February 16 for internal examinations from February 17. At this time, the interim order of the court was in place.

Further, the government has also asked colleges to follow the order. The college has not been allowing any dress reflecting religious identity in classrooms since February 17, as per the orders of the government and the High Court.

“We are only following orders of the court and the government. We have apprised the students about the same,” the principal said.

The hijab-clad girls did not attend the internal examinations on February 17. On February 18 too, they refused to remove the hijab and attend the examinations, he said.

MGM colleges reopen

Meanwhile, the MGM Pre University and MGM Degree Colleges in Udupi were re-opened on Friday after remaining closed since February 8.

While the PU college conducted practical examinations, the degree college conducted its internal examinations. Sources said that some hijab-clad girls removed the hijab and attended the examinations as per the dress code of the colleges, while some students who were insisting that they should be allowed to wear hijab did not attend the examinations. The college had displayed notices outside its gate that visitors and parents were not on campus and only students writing the examination, teachers and non-teaching staff were allowed. The police had beefed up security in the college. The government college at Kavoor had declared a holiday on February 17 after four hijab-clad students protested on being denied entry to the classroom. When the college was re-opened on February 18, the same students continued their protest supported by some of their male counterparts who also did not attend classes. Tight police security had been provided to the college.

On February 17, Government First Grade College at Uppinangady in Dakshina Kannada district had declared a two-day holiday when some boys supported girls wearing hijab.

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra said that the interim order applies to all colleges where the College Development Committees have prescribed a uniform.