Assam State Commission for Women (ASCW) Member Nang Lucky Gogoi welcomed the Karnataka High Court’s decision on hijab and also supported the statement passed by the court. The ASCW member cited ‘rules and regulations as the reason behind her stand on the verdict. She said ‘students should not be divided into religion, caste or creed.’
She tweeted that she is a ‘strong supporter of women’s rights and women ‘can wear a dress of her choice, but if there is a dress code in an institution, it must be followed.’
Karnataka High Court on Hijab controversy
In a setback to women wearing hijab, a three-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday observed that ‘hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam.’ Dismissing the petition, the HC observed that ‘(school/college) uniform is a reasonable restriction’ imposed by the educational institution. Six girl students who were not allowed to wear hijab inside Kundapura College had moved the High Court regarding the matter.
Further, it states that the school uniform is only a reasonable restriction to which students cannot object. The HC held that the state government has the power to issue government orders. Thus it dismissed all the writ petitions filed by Muslim girl students for permission to wear hijab in colleges and challenged the government order dated February 5.
Hijab controversy
It started in December when the Government Pre-University College in Kundapura issued a circular banning the wearing of hijab in classrooms. As some students were not allowed to enter the classes because of this notice, there was a lot of commotion. Later in January, the government P.U. College for Girls, Udupi has moved to the Karnataka High Court seeking permission to attend classes wearing hijab, citing fundamental rights and a direction to the effect that it is a “necessary practice” of Islam