Mangaluru, June 3: Accusing the Syndicate of the Mangalore University of acting at the behest of BJP’s student ABVP, Mangalore University Students Coordination Committee (Vidyarthi Samanvaya Samithi or VSM) has warned of massive protest if the former fails to withdraw decision on banning headscarves of Muslim inside the classrooms.
At a press conference, the VSM today demanded Mangalore University to give justice to the students who have been denied permission to attend classes wearing headscarves at University College in Mangaluru.
Giving a two day deadline to withdraw hijab ban, the VSM chairman Riyaz said: “If agitating students who have been demanding justice fail to get justice, then we will hold a massive protest rally by uniting students from across the district.”
Gousiya, a final year degree student of University College in Mangaluru said, “We have been wearing hijab inside classrooms even after the High Court verdict. It was on May 16, we received a message from the college Principal directing all the students to wear uniforms and attend classes without hijab."
Stating that the High Court order on hijab is not applicable to university colleges, Gousiya said, “The Syndicate of the Mangalore University took a decision on banning headscarves inside the classrooms following a representation made by the ABVP students. There was no issue with hijab in the college all these days. It cropped up recently".
“We have approached the college Principal, Mangalore University Vice Chancellor and Deputy Commissioner, appealing to allow us to wear hijab inside the classrooms till the end of our academic year. Some of us will be completing our graduation in the next two to three months. The decision taken by the Syndicate in the middle of the academic year will hamper our studies,” she said.
"We were neither allowed to sit outside the classrooms wearing hijab nor visit the library to write our notes. A few of the ABVP-backed students had even harassed us inside the college campus by videographing us, commenting and abusing from behind and unnecessarily arguing with us. Some had flaunted saffron stole to us when we visited the college campus. We had even submitted a complaint to the college Principal on the harassment. However, no action was taken against them so far,” she lamented.
She pinpointed that the prospectus of the University College stated that students are allowed to wear the veil of their uniform as a headscarf. "We are fighting for our rights and are hopeful of getting justice," she said.
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