Hijab row hits college in MP's Satna district

MCom student allowed to take exam after giving written undertaking to wear uniform
A muslim woman holds a placard during a protest against banning Muslim girls wearing hijab from attending classes at some schools in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, in Kolkata. (Photo | AP)
A muslim woman holds a placard during a protest against banning Muslim girls wearing hijab from attending classes at some schools in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, in Kolkata. (Photo | AP)

BHOPAL: The hijab controversy which erupted in BJP-ruled Karnataka, but had its reverberations felt in Madhya Pradesh later is yet to die down completely in the central Indian state. Just two days after the MP government distanced itself from its school education minister Inder Singh Parmar’s Hijab ban supportive remarks, a young Muslim woman student at Government Autonomous PG College in state’s Satna district, had to give a written undertaking to the principal that she would not wear Hijab again in college premises, but stick to college uniform only.

The incident happened on Friday, when a M.Com Third Semester student Rukshana Khan arrived at the college wearing Hijab to take the examination. According to informed sources, students from other community, including some associated with the Akhil Bhartiya Viyarthi Parishad (ABVP) opposed the woman wearing Hijab-Burqa in the examination. Sensing that the matter could snowball into a major controversy, the college’s principal-in-charge, Shivesh Pratap Singh swung into action. He not only advised Ruksana not to wear Hijab again into the college, but also took from her a written undertaking on the exam admit card, that she will not wear Hijab in the college again and stick to college uniform like other students.

“All the students had been strictly told in writing that they will be allowed only in proper uniform and face masks into the examination. But she arrived in Hijab-Burqa. She has given a written undertaking that she will cooperate with the college administration and not violate the college’s dress/uniform code again, ” Singh told journalists on Saturday.

Importantly, political controversy had erupted recently in MP, after the school education minister Inder Singh Parmar had supported banning Hijab into schools and also announced that new dress code will be strictly enforced in the schools of the state from the next academic session. Just a day later, while home minister Narottam Mishra said there was no proposal to ban Hijab in schools, the school education minister had to backtrack from his previous day’s statement reportedly.

Girl takes to sports

A young Muslim student of a school-college owned by Congress MLA Arif Masood in Bhopal, came out in support of Hijab, playing soccer and cricket, while wearing Hijab, on Saturday

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