Let’s be fair, the hijab row controversy is the biggest one in India right now. The entire situation has garnered a lot of attention from all over the country and also the world. Now while there is a lot of criticism for the hijab row online, it feels like this is spreading all over the country with many states pushing for the dress code to be enforced against hijabi students. Recently, an MP college was forced to enforce this rule after outsiders came in demanding the hijab ban within the college. I can’t even.
In the Datia district of MP, the authorities have issued a notice stating that students shouldn’t wear any community-specific clothing after some outsiders protested that there should be a Hijab ban within Government PG College. The principal of the college, D R Rahul, told TOI about the harmony within communities that exists within the institution. “It was only on February 14 that some outsiders came to the college and started staging protests. They pressured us saying they would create a ruckus in the college if ‘hijab’ wasn’t banned. It is under their pressure that such a notice was issued,” said Rahul. Datia is known to be the home grounds for MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra who said on February 9, “there is no plan to ban”.
However, some right-wingers saw a few hijabi students within the college and created a ruckus. The principal was then forced to issue a notice banning hijabs in the college. An investigation into the situation was ordered by the government. Datia collector Sanjay Kumar visited the college to investigate the situation. He said according to reports, “We are alert and vigilant. Whatever happened was due to some confusion. We will not let the issue escalate any further. There is absolute peace and harmony. Things were peaceful yesterday, too.”
Also Read: Karnataka Hijab Row Intensifies, Students Refuse To Give Exams Over Hijab Ban. Plea In HC To Defer Hearing Amid Assembly Polls
Keeping the political aspects of this situation aside for a bit, the entire situation is absolutely appalling to me. The fact these communal differences have escalated so much that citizens feel comfortable violating each other’s basic fundamental rights openly. The hijab row is showcasing our communal issues more clearly than before and the differences are glaringly obvious.