Karnataka invigilator suspended over hijab; girls ‘denied entry’ into halls | Bengaluru - Hindustan Times
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SSLC exams: Karnataka invigilator suspended over hijab; girls ‘denied entry’ into halls

BySharan Poovanna, Bengaluru
Mar 29, 2022 06:35 AM IST

Several other students across Karnataka stayed away from the 10th grade exams on account of the ban, choosing to bear with the loss of one of the most critical junctures in their education for their religious belief.

The hijab row continued to manifest in various ways across Karnataka as an invigilator was suspended on Monday for wearing the headscarf as well as arguing with exam authorities while trying to argue in favour of allowing Muslim girls to wear the Hijab and enter the classrooms.

Noor Fathima, an invigilator at Bengaluru’s Siddaganga School, was suspended after she was allegedly trying to contradict instructions being given by exam authorities on the restrictions around the hijab. (PTI)
Noor Fathima, an invigilator at Bengaluru’s Siddaganga School, was suspended after she was allegedly trying to contradict instructions being given by exam authorities on the restrictions around the hijab. (PTI)

Noor Fathima, an invigilator at Bengaluru’s Siddaganga School, was suspended after she was allegedly trying to contradict instructions being given by exam authorities on the restrictions around the hijab.

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“She was only relieved from her duties even before the exams began. She had an argument with the chief superintendent who was instructing students not to enter classes with the hijab. Since she did not oblige, she was relieved from her duties,” V Ramesh, the Block Education Officer of Bengaluru North.

Several other students across Karnataka stayed away from the 10th grade exams on account of the ban, choosing to bear with the loss of one of the most critical junctures in their education for their religious belief.

One student in Bagalkote’s Ilkal refused to take her exams on Monday after not being allowed to enter the class with the Hijab.

According to the Karnataka primary and secondary education department, out of the 869,399 students enrolled for the SSLC exams, 848,405 were in attendance while 20,994 were absent.

The state government did not give a breakup of those students who refused to take the exams on account of the hijab ban.

Most students across Karnataka were seen removing the hijab inside special rooms on the campus and then proceeding to write the 10th SSLC exams.

With the Karnataka government steadfast in not allowing students inside exams in classes, several children were forced to remove the hijab within the campus and only then allowed to proceed to classes.

“While running a system, we have to frame rules and act according to them. The government cannot fulfil (the demands) of individuals. It is our duty to live within that system. The education department is not the only one who spoke on this system but a notification was addressed by the state’s highest body (Karnataka HC) and even if this is questioned, we have to feel sad firstly because they are fogoring their exams and also because they are not acting as citizens of this country,” BC Nagesh, minister for primary and secondary education, said on Monday.

He said there were organistions who have the mentality that these (Muslim) girls will not listen to them if they are educated. “But around 99.9% of students have not supported such a call but 0.1% have gone with this and it is better to neglect them,” he added.

A three-Judge bench of the Karnataka High Court had recently ruled that hijab is not an essential religious practice and everyone should abide by the uniform dress rule.

The Karnataka government had made it clear that everyone has to follow the High Court ruling or else they will not be allowed to take the exam.

In the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) girls high school in Cleveland Town, students were seen entering the campus where they would remove the hijab and then proceed to give their 10th grade exams.

“We are giving our exams. Earlier they (school authorities) used to allow us with the Hijab and then stopped,” Sana Fathoon, a 10th grader said. “I don’t know what is the problem with wearing the Hijab,” she said.

Students have been forced to choose between the right to education and the freedom to practice their religion.

“Our children start wearing the hijab when they are very young and asking them not to wear it is not correct. But what do we do? We want our children to be educated,” Illyas Ahmed, a parent, said.

There are around 40,000 halls in 3,440 exam centres around the state. The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) will conduct SSLC or Class 10 final exams from March 28. The papers will end on April 11.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government in Karnataka has taken a stand not to allow students inside with Hijab.

After the controversy broke in early January at a Government Girls Pre-University College in town, the issue snowballed and spread to educational institutes in Udupi and across the state. The face-off between hijab-wearing students and their own classmates, clad in saffron shawls and turbans, has now become the defining image of growing polarisation of Karnataka.

Six girls from the PU college first hit the headlines in early January as they protested against the institution’s move to stop their entry to campus while wearing headscarves. Over the course of the month, four more colleges in Udupi and Kundapur districts issued the same ban.

On February 5, the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government issued an order stating that the uniform prescribed by educational institutions at the start of the year should be followed. This order, according to students, was misinterpreted by authorities to clamp down on the hijab.

The Muslim students protesting against the ban then moved the high court seeking that they be allowed to attend classes wearing the hijab. The court issued verdict on March 15 after 11 days of continuous hearings.

Almost immediately, the verdict was challenged in the Supreme Court. On Thursday however, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana turned down a plea seeking an urgent hearing of the challenge.

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