Karnataka Hijab Row: Bangalore College Asks Sikh Girl To Remove Turban In Accordance With High Court’s Interim Order
The religious conflicts in India have been at the forefront since the Karnataka hijab row has begun. Many have opposed the wearing of hijab in schools and colleges as ordered by the high court. However, due to this, the argument that relics and symbols from other religions shouldn’t be allowed has also come up. Following this, a college in Bengaluru asked a female Sikh student to remove her turban while attending college.
A 17-year-old Amritdhari Sikh girl named Amiteshwar Kaur was asked by Mount Carmel College in Vasanth Nagar, Karnataka to remove her turban in accordance with the uniform code and the high courts interim order from February 10 which specified that students are refrained from wearing, “saffron shawls, hijab and religious flags or the likes.
Amiteshwar’s father, Gurcharan Singh has written a letter to Sri Guru Singh Sabha’s Administrator in Ulsoor, Bangalore. The letter spoke about the incident and said that the college authaurities called her in and asked her to remove her Dastaar (turban). However, the girl politely refused. Singh said that the Karnataka government needs to provide more clarity about the problem. He said that the college authorities were also checking for students wearing hijabs and that’s when his daughter was singled out for wearing her turban. He then said that it is disrespectful for the entire Sikh community if their turbans are asked to be removed. Singh told TOI, “She has never faced any discrimination in the college till now. Now, also they seem to be caught in a piquant situation while responding to the high court order.”
Also Read: Hijab Row: Karnataka HC Refuses Interim Relief To 2 Degree College Students Who Sought Permission To Wear Hijab To Classes
The college has however attempted to clarify its stance. They said that they have no issues with girls wearing the turban. When the college reopened on February 16, the students were informed about the high court order and the college kept functioning normally. However, when the deputy director of pre-university education (north) visited the college, he called in a group of girls wearing hijabs and told them about the high court order. This led to the girls demanding that no girl should be allowed to wear anything religious to the institution and that includes the Sikh girl.
The college has also responded to the father’s letter and said, “In our letter to the father, we have specifically mentioned that we believe in an inclusive society and respect all religious practices. According to the vision and mission of the college, we follow inter-religious harmony and have an active inter-religious association,” according to The Quint.
