As the Karnataka Hijab row escalates, distressing videos of students clashing with each other is circulating on the internet. The protest started from a small district of Udupi in Karnataka has now taken a communal turn. As some students across the state claim wearing Hijab is their constitutional right but on the other hand, some students are protesting against wearing Hijab on school premises by wearing saffron shawls.
Female Muslim students demand the authority to let them wear headscarves on their uniform as it’s an essential part of their uniform. Few of the protesting students claim that everything was alright, they were allowed to wear scarves, however, suddenly the authority has turned hostile towards them and did not let them practice their religion which they claim is guaranteed by the constitution itself.
The Muslim students claim that up until now even their Hindu classmates had no problem with their Hijab, in fact, they were supporting them in this fight. However, now videos of several students are circulating who claims that uniform is for everyone and if few students are treated specially and are allowed to wear religious symbols in school then they should also be allowed to do the same. Hence they are protesting wearing saffron shawls and turbans. (Reported by an interview in Brut India).
As the protest is turning more and more communal day by day, distressing videos are circulating on social media. In a recent video, a single hijab-wearing girl can be seen hounded by saffron shawl wearing boys.
Another video of boys wearing saffron stole hoisting the saffron flag on school premises can be seen. Later the Shivamogga SP BM Laxmi Prasad clarified that no national flag was replace during hoisting the saffron flag.
Videos of vandalism and stone-pelting by the students are also circulating after which the Karnataka government decided to close all the school collages for three days in the state.
Amid the row, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi extended her support to the Karnataka students who want to wear Hijab. In her tweet, she said, “Whether it is a bikini, a ghoonghat, a pair of jeans or a hijab, it is a woman’s right to decide what she wants to wear. This right is GUARANTEED by the Indian constitution. Stop harassing women.”
Extending solidarity with the students, Nobel Peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai also tweeted on this.
