Classes resume in Karnataka schools, colleges post-hijab verdict

Barring a few incidents of protests, the schools and colleges in Karnataka on Wednesday resumed functioning across the state after the Special Bench of the High Court passed a verdict dismissing the petitions seeking permission to allow hijab in classrooms.

As many as 22 students in Chikkamagaluru IDSG College staged a protest demanding their right to wear hijab. They gathered at the entrance of the college and staged the agitation holding placards.

The students at Madhugiri Government College in Tumakuru district also protested after they were turned away from classes.

The schools and colleges saw mostly full attendance and a large number of students, including those belonging to the minority community, attended classes without hijab as per the prescribed uniform.

The pre-university education institutes also started operating with police cover in the coastal town of Udupi. The Udupi Pre-University College where the agitation on hijab, which turned into a major crisis threatening law and order situation in the state, also started working without any incidents of disturbance.

The six students, who started the agitation, have stated that they won't attend classes until they are allowed into classes with hijab. Udupi BJP MLA Raghupathy Bhat, who is also the President of the Pre-University College had requested them to attend classes following rules of uniform and he has also assured that the school management would arrange for making up for loss of classes and they shouldn't keep any bitterness towards them. However, the girls have rejected the offer.

Udupi district administration has continued the prohibitory orders on gathering, celebration, protests. The police department has deputed three platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and five platoons of the District Armed Reserve (DAR) in Udupi.

The students attended classes normally in Shivamogga district, which witnessed large-scale violence after the murder of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha.

In Yadgir district many students have returned to homes after the college managements refused to allow them to write preparatory exams with hijab. The government college management in Chikkaballapur asked a girl student, who attended classes with hijab, to go to a separate room and remove hijab. (GA/IANS)

Keywords: ( Hijab, Karnataka, Schools, Colleges, Girls, Students, Government )