After the Karnataka high court dismissed the hijab row petition put forth by the female Muslim petitioners from Udupi, hijab-clad students on Tuesday said that they will not go to college without their headscarves. They further said that they will fight the case legally till they get justice.
“We had approached the high court seeking permission to wear hijab in the classrooms. The order has come against us. We will not go to the college without hijab but we will fight for it. We will try all the legal ways. We will fight for justice and our rights,” one of the students said in a press conference in this coastal town.
“When our country has given the secular right to follow religion plus culture, and education. Why are our high court and opposition not allowing us?” said another student.
“Dr BR Ambedkar once said the constitution is the best thing but it depends on the people who run it. It is clear now that the people who are running it are not doing it properly,” she added.
“I don’t know how to explain this. I don’t know what to say. Right now we are mentally collapsed and we don’t have any words. We were expecting so much from our constitution, our country,” said the student as her voice quivered.
When media persons asked the students if they would approach the Supreme Court with the issue, the student said, “We have not discussed it with our lawyer right now. We will be discussing it, will take our time and we will let you know. But we will be taking this (the issue) the legal way, and we will be taking the procedure forward.”
Religion v/s Education:
The disappointed student lost her calm when a media person questioned her if her religion is more important than education.
“You keep asking us this question. I would like to ask the government a question instead. Is the uniform more important to them than our education? They are the ones forcing us to stay home,” she stated.
The students also claimed that the verdict was ‘unconstitutional’.
“The verdict which came today is unconstitutional…the constitution itself provides us (our rights) to follow my religion and whatever I can wear,” the girl stated and also referred to a government order on February 5 banning any cloth that disturbed peace, harmony and public order on the campus.
According to them, the circular came only after they approached the HC.
Accusing the government of creating an issue by issuing a circular, the girls alleged it was done to create pressure.
“How many issues they made! Oh my God! They made an issue for all the colleges. They have denied education to all the girls. This was done to create pressure…,” a student charged.
She reiterated that the hijab was an essential part of her religion.
Here are a few comments from Muslim women in the country:
A number of Muslim women expressed their disappointment, on Twitter, over the high court’s judgment, including some of those who have been victims of the hijab diktat, which may cost them their education.
