BENGALURU: In view of the tension prevailing inside and outside the campuses of several educational institutions in the state amid the hearing on pleas relating to the hijab row, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday requested the student community and the public at large to maintain peace and tranquillity.
"The court has full faith in the wisdom and virtue in the public at large and hopes the same would be put to practice," Justice Krishna S Dixit observed in the interim order passed while adjourning the hearing to Wednesday.
This was after Advocate General Prabhuling K Navadagi submitted that there is a lot of tension at the campuses of several institutions, even though the court was hearing the arguments of both the sides in an important matter like this and that should be halted. In support of his submission, he read out the judgment passed by the apex court on the farmers' agitation.
Then senior advocate Devadutta Kamat, appearing for the petitioners-students, argued broadly in agreement with the submission of Advocate General. However, he opposed the blanket order against all agitators who are not party to the petition.
After having heard the counsel for the parties and pending further hearing, Justice Krishna S Dixit passed the interim order.
The court was hearing a batch of petitions about the hijab row including one petition in which students questioned the order passed by the state government on February 5 prescribing the uniform in school and college campuses.
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Earlier in the evening, to avoid any further unrest among students over the hijab row, the Karnataka government declared a holiday for all high schools and colleges across the state for the next three days.
Taking to Twitter, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, "I appeal to all the students, teachers and management of schools and colleges as well as people of Karnataka to maintain peace and harmony. I have ordered the closure of all high schools and colleges for the next three days. All concerned are requested to cooperate."
The announcement came after a day of high drama at many colleges.
Outside the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) College in Udupi students arrived wearing saffron turbans and shawls to counter students who arrived wearing the hijab. When students demanded that they be allowed to wear the hijab inside the classroom, the college conveyed that they are in the process of implementing the dress code and declared a holiday for the next few days.
Meanwhile, in Bagalkot a group of men pelted stones after students clad with saffron shawls prevented girls from entering the college with burka and headscarves in Banahatti town.
Tension prevailed in front of the Government PU college in Banahatti when some students closed the college gate and demanded that students arrive at the college without burka and hijab.
A group of men then pelted stones on the college and students in the presence of policemen. In the incident, a few students and others suffered minor injuries. The local police were forced to resort to a lathi charge. The college authorities suspended all classes for a day.
Similarly, in Hassan, the Government Home Science College declared a holiday when students arrived inside the campus wearing saffron shawls and hijab.
Tension prevailed in degree colleges across Mandya district as students clad in saffron shawls gathered outside the college raising slogans as a mark of protest against the hijab. Though the situation was under control, several students heckled a hijab wearing student at PES College in Mandya who was escorted by college staff immediately. Meanwhile, several hijab wearing students were seen returning back to the hostel.
At Harihar government first grade college, there was an altercation between two groups of students. Immediately the police used tear gas and a lathi charge to bring the situation under control and disperse the crowd. Amidst this, some students present there hurled stones at police vehicles and vehicles parked near the college.
Timeline
December 31, 2021 - Six Muslim girls wearing hijabs protested outside Women’s Government PU College, Udupi on December 31 after the college principal denied them entry inside the classroom
January 1, 2022 - Masood Manna, State Committee Member of CFI, Karnataka, told reporters on Saturday that parents of the girl students have met the principal three times earlier and requested to allow
their daughters to wear hijab
January 20 - Hijab wearing girls display placards seeking justice in front of Women’s Government PU College, Udupi
January 26 - Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat who is also the president of the same college gives students an option to opt for online classes if they cannot be without hijab inside classrooms
January 27 - Students say they do not want to attend online classes and continue to wear hijab, but entry denied into the class
February 2 - Hijab row spills over to Government PU College in the neighboring town of Kundapur as boys and girls arrive wearing saffron shawls
February 3 - Hijab wearing students denied entry at the Government PU College, Kundapur
February 5 - Rahul Gandhi through a tweet backs girls demanding ‘hijab’
February 8 - Hijab row peaks in several districts of the state as HC hearing of pleas begins on Tuesday