CFI continues Hijab protest: stages human chain in city

Mangalore, July 26: Activists Dakshina Kannada district unit of Campus Front of Indian on Thursday formed a human chain at Jyothi Circle in the city blocking the traffic for few minutes to register their protest against the alleged communally motivated measures by Sri Ramakunjeshwara First Grade College located in Ramakunja in Puttur Taluk.

The College authorities had lodged complaint against 14 students including Mohammed Tufail, the State Unit President of CFI following a massive protest in front of the College on July 20 demanding the College to allow the Muslim girls to wear headscarf on the campus.

Addressing the protesters Haidar Habeeb, DK district unit president of CFI said that by imposing ban on hijab of Muslim girls Ramakunjeshwara College had made it clear that it was not ready to uphold the secular values of Indian constitution.

“Moreover, the College authorities had lodged false cases against peaceful protesters, who were demanding justice to the Muslim girl students of the College, who had been kept away from the classes for wearing head scarf. This move clearly shows their communal agenda”, he said.

The agitators forwarded a memorandum to Karnataka Governor H R Bharadwaj and Union Human Resources Development Ministry through district administration seeking their intervention in the issue to bring justice to aggrieved students.

The memorandum accused the College of resorting to illegal and dishonest way to curb the Muslim students, who were demanding their constitutional rights. It demanded to withdraw cases registered against innocent students.

The memorandum termed the move of the College as “tantamount to an assault on the religious belief of students”. Any educational institution cannot impose ban on headscarf in India since the constitution of this country has guaranteed the citizens their religious rights, it added.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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