Karnataka Hijab Row: Schools Till Class 10 Reopen, HC Scheduled To Resume Hearing Case

The pre-University and Degree colleges will remain shut till February 16. Earlier, the Karnataka HC had given an interim order to reopen the educational institutions.

Students come out of their school after a teacher asked them to remove their hijab in Bengaluru, Saturday (PTI Photo).

New Delhi: As high schools in Karnataka reopen today amid the ongoing turmoil on hijab row, the Karnataka High Court is set to continue hearing the petitions filed on usage and wearing of hijab in educational institutions this afternoon at 2:30 PM.

Karnataka government decided to reopen all schools in the state up to class 10. The decision was announced by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai during a meeting in Hubli on Sunday. The pre-University and Degree colleges will remain shut till February 16.

Schools up to 10th standard will re-open from tomorrow. I've instructed the DCs, SPs and school administrations to conduct a peace committee meeting. Schools for higher classes and degree colleges will re-open after reviewing the situation: Karnataka CM Basavraj Bommai in Hubli pic.twitter.com/tpi3r0qc03

— ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2022

Meanwhile, the Udupi district administration has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC in areas around all high schools in the district from today till February 19, PTI reported. The order will be in effect from 6 AM on February 14 to 6 pm on February 19.

Earlier, the Karnataka HC had given an interim order to reopen the educational institutions. However, it had also ordered that no religious attire will be allowed inside educational institutions including Hijab and saffron shawls. 

The HC had specified that this order is only applicable for those institutions that practice a dress code or uniform. 

Karnataka HC Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi led bench had requested the state government and other stakeholders to reopen the educational institutions and let students go back to their classes. The bench also said that as long as the hearing on the petitions is undergoing, no student will be allowed to wear any religious attire including saffron shawl and Hijab, no matter which community they are from. 

The bench consists of Justices Krishna Das Dixit and JM Kazi besides CJ Awasthi. The order was passed by the HC on Thursday and was made available to the public on Friday. 

The three-judge bench was formed on Wednesday after the petition was filed by a Muslim female student. The student has challenged the ban put on Hijab by Justice Dixit-led single-bench which was hearing the issue on Tuesday. Hence a larger bench was formed to hear the case.

After the HC’s observation, the Karnataka government had decided on reopening high schools from Monday onwards. The government order reiterated HC’s observation that no religious attire should be carried by any student that could potentially instigate any disturbance in schools.

The hijab controversy started in December last year when six students were denied entry into the classroom as they were wearing a hijab in a pre-University college in Udupi. The issue caught fire when some Hindu students came to college wearing saffron shawls in protest against the hijab. 

Soon enough, it was spread to other colleges in the state leading to tension in the educational institutions since then. After protests from the students across the state in favour of and against hijab, the state government declared a three-day off in colleges and high schools on February 9.

On Sunday, Karnataka CM Basvaraj Bommai expressed his faith that peace will prevail in the state. He added that the decision regarding the reopening of pre-University and Degree colleges in the state will be taken after gauging the situation. 

He also said that the school authorities have been instructed to hold meetings with parents and teachers to maintain peace in the state. He added that the state education minister has asked to submit a report on the situation, based on which the decision regarding reopening colleges will be taken.