All India Democratic Students Organisation’s (AIDSO) Bangalore committee has decided to protest the hijab ban/row in Karnataka by studying the thoughts and philosophies of freedom fighters and thinkers from the Indian subcontinent.
“Realising the necessity of taking the secular and democratic thoughts and teachings of great men, Renaissance thinkers, AIDSO has taken up a campaign throughout the state,” the student body said in a statement.
AIDSO further affirmed that the thoughts of uncompromising freedom fighters like Bhagath Singh, Netaji, Ramprasad Bismill, Ashfaqulla Khan, etc and Renaissance personalities like Ishwarachandra Vidyasagar, Raja Ram Mohan; great men like Tagore, Saratchandra, Premchand, Kazi Nasrul Islam, Subramaniya Bharati, and thoughts of Vivekananda are currently being harnessed and propagated by the student community as a means to combat communal hatred.
The organisation is carrying forward their campaign of educating people with the slogan, “Let scientific-secular-democratic education be ours”.
They will be hosting campaigns at playgrounds, parks, colleges and hostels. Aside from this, the AIDSO will also be hosting programs and discussions on freedom fighter Subash Chandra Bose to commemorate his 125th anniversary.
Background of the hijab row:
The hijab row commenced a month ago when female Muslim students were denied entry into a pre-university government college in Karnataka’s Udupi town. The reason offered by the administration was that the students adorned in hijabs were violating the dress code of their institute. The students on their end stated that the hijab was an integral part of their religion and as such affirmed their right to practice their faith.
The hijab row soon made its way into other parts of northern Karnataka where right-wing students as well as, Muslim women (supported by Ambedkarite and Muslim student activists) protested against and in favour of the hijab respectively.
On Thursday, the Karnataka High court stated that all educational institutions shall be reopened, and students can attend classes in keeping with the dress code (ie. without their hijabs)
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