In India, tension mounts over wearing the hijab at school

Students in India.

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1 min

In India, tensions are mounting after several schools refused to let Muslim students in because they were wearing the hijab.

Politicians and students are torn between those who recall the right to wear this veil and those who support these prohibitions. 

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With our correspondent in Bangalore

, 

Côme Bastin

The controversy began in December, in an establishment in Udupi, a region of Karnataka where there are 18% Muslims.

Several female students are said to have been refused admission to classes ahead of important exams. 

Demonstrations then broke out in support of them, but at the same time other establishments in Karnataka closed their doors to veiled women.

On Wednesday February 2, 20 students were deprived of lessons in the city of Kundapur. 

Certain members of the Hindu nationalist party BJP did not hesitate to show their support for the directors of establishments.

Karnataka's Minister of Education has claimed to support sartorial neutrality.

But at the same time, students came to class with an orange scarf, a symbol of Hinduism, as a provocation.  

In Karnataka's Kundapur, 'THEY' wanted to enter the college with hij@b



So, our youths decided to enter the college with saffron shawls pic.twitter.com/0VSCOkBlFi

— Mahesh Vikram Hegde 🇮🇳 (@mvmeet) February 2, 2022

On Twitter, the figure of the Congress party Shashi Tharoor recalled that the Indian Constitution allows veils in schools.

“

Hijab, Sikh turban, Hindu scarves, Christian cross, are prohibited in French public schools, but not in India

”, judged the deputy. 

.

This is a college, @TVMohandasPai, not a school.

And in any case there is no law banning religious forms of dress like a Sikh turban or a crucifix around your neck or a tilak on the forehead, all of which are forbidden in France's govt schools but permitted in India's.

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 4, 2022

This Friday, February 4, many students are still deprived of lessons and the tension has not subsided. 

► To read also: In India, a year marked by the growing repression of religious minorities

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