Female students wearing hijab in Kundapura government PU college are not permitted inside the college gate on Thursday after several male students on Wednesday wore saffron shawls in protest against girls wearing hijab to college.
While the hijab row continues at another Udupi women’s government PU College, on Wednesday a similar controversy erupted at a government institute at Kundapur with more than 100 boys wearing saffron shawls to oppose female students wearing hijab.
A video has surfaced on social media, in which girls wearing hijab are crying and requesting the Principal to allow them to attend class and not ruin their future as exam is set to begin just in 2 months.
Talking to THG, a girl student standing outside the gate said, “We’re not wearing hijab from today. We’ve been wearing it for a long time. When all girls came to college, they started closing gates only for us. We requested them please we just have 2 months left. Next year, we’ll shift to another college but for now, please allow us to attend classes. We convinced them to not ruin our education.”
“We requested them to at least allow us to sit inside the premises as we’re standing here in the scorching sun since morning. But still, they didn’t allow us, not even for the sake of humanity,” she added.
“We even questioned them what will you do if your kids are also in the same situation? But they didn’t listen to us. Whatever we say they still want us to remove hijab,” the female student said adding that “none of us are ready to do it.”
There are about 25 girls standing outside the college requesting the authorities to permit them to attend classes.
“Some girls have got a strain in legs standing for so long, few didn’t even have their breakfast and some of them have also got dizziness. Will they do like this when it comes to their children? They say we’re their children but don’t treat us like one. They have no mercy, no humanity,” she added.
On Wednesday, a meeting was also held with the local MLA, college authorities, and students. However, the meeting failed to arrive at consent as the parents insisted that their children have the right to wear hijab.
Several parents in the meeting had said, “You should have kept these rules earlier, what’s the use of keeping it now. If we knew about it, then we would’ve admitted our children in Muslim colleges.”
Campus Front of India State Secretary Syed Sarfaraz told THG, “The government is trying to create an agenda for upcoming elections through right-wing groups. They want an agenda to divide Hindu-Muslim.”
“We will help the students in every legal and constitutional possibility. Whatever help they need, we’ll stand in the front foot with them and help them seek justice,” Sarfaraz added.
