Bengaluru: Amid the prevailing Hijab row, pre-university colleges and degree colleges in Karnataka that were shut as a precautionary measure, will reopen from Wednesday as Muslim girls anxiously wait for the High Court's hearing in the matter in the matter scheduled in the afternoon.
The reopening of the colleges comes in compliance with the Karnataka High Court's permission on Thursday with the caveat that students cannot be allowed to wear religious clothing till the matter is disposed. The educational institutions were closed by the Karnataka government on February 8 after reports of violence from college campuses. The same day, a Muslim girl was heckled by a mob of Hindu boys chanting Jai Shri Ram to which she shouted back Allahu Akbar.
However, following the High Court's directions, the Karnataka government on Monday decided to resume classes for junior and degree college students from February 16. The Hijab protests in the southern state began in January this year when some students of Government Girls PU college in the Udupi district of the state alleged that they had been barred from attending classes. During the protests, some students claimed they were denied entry into the college for wearing hijab.
The pre-university education board had released a circular stating that students can wear only the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious practices will be allowed in colleges. Muslim girl students who reached the school campuses wearing hijabs removed them before entering classes. The district administration has imposed Section 144 of CrPC around a 200-metre radius of all colleges in the district to maintain peace.
However, protests from Muslim girls forced the state to shut schools and colleges for almost a week. High schools were reopened amid prohibitory orders in Udupi and sensitive areas of Dakshina Kannada and Bengaluru from Feb. 14. A peace meeting was held at Udupi on Tuesday by deputy commissioner M Kurma Rao to seek the support of students and the public to ensure smooth conduct of classes in the junior and degree colleges, set to reopen.
Leaders of political parties, student's organizations, religious leaders and other prominent persons attended the meeting. The DC appealed to all sections of society to abide by the High Court's interim order not to wear any religious attire to educational institutions until the final judgement on the issue is pronounced. Leaders of all the organisations who attended the meeting agreed to maintain law and order.
Rao said prompt action will be taken if any attempt is made to disturb peace in the colleges in the district. Udupi district superintendent of police N Vishnuvardhan said an additional police force has been deployed to maintain law and order in the district. A total of 700 police personnel will be on duty, including those from the state reserve police, he said.
The district administration has clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC within a 200-metre radius of all colleges and polytechnics in the district from 6 AM on February 16 to 6 PM on February 23 as a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incident. Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court, which is hearing multiple pleas on the matter, Tuesday adjourned the matter for Wednesday after hearing the petitions challenging the ban on Hijab in schools and colleges. The HC is expected to take up the matter at 2:30 pm today.
Also read: Everyone should abide by HC order on hijab row, says Karnataka CM
