MANGALORE: The Sri Venkatarama Swamy (SVS) College in Bantwal has restricted a first year BCom student from attending the classes till she conforms
to the rules and regulations of the college, which is not to display her religious identity, the headscarf.
The student Aysha Asmin, after objections from saffron-leaning students, was told by the college management not to wear the headscarf, which she started wearing after the college had prevented her from wearing the burqa.
Aysha has not been attending the classes from past 12 days. Trouble started after the college elections. She alleged that college president Bharath started heckling her for wearing a scarf saying that they too would come wearing a saffron scarf.
“He was taken aback when I said I don’t mind. I don’t even mind wearing a saffron scarf”, Aysha told TOI. After this, harassment continued, but Aysha was stoic till it reached a flash point when the principal told her not to attend classes.
Aysha’s father clarifies that he admitted his daughter to the college only after clarifying that there would be no issue for wearing a burqa in the college with a lecturer.
Instead of sharing my own comment I wud like to share one made by a person on this issue on the given website
Covering the hair is also part of the Indian culture. No wonder, even our President Pratiba Patil, always cover her hair. It is also the style of Mary, the mother of Jesus. A sign of modesty is to cover ones beauty, while in public. All religions teach the same ethics. But, the ignorant ones never know their roots at the first place. If religious identities are not to be maintained in the institutions, then ask our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to remove his turban and shave his beard when he is in the Parliament assembly. What if clean shaven cheek identifies to certain religion? What to do then? Let the people have the right to follow what they believe.
Re: India: Karnataka college keeps girl out for wearing headscarf
^^ Ya very true.
Religious intolerance everywhere should be rooted out. Not very sure, how some of the governments would react though. People jump up and down when they see these kind of news in non-Islamic countries, but would not mind if worse form of religious descrimination is found in their home countries
Re: India: Karnataka college keeps girl out for wearing headscarf
It was not just a headscarf that she wanted to wear. She wanted to wear the whole burqa. My hometown is very near the place and I know this from my friends in the town this incident happened. I personally feel, if there was a college uniform and that did not specify the burqa then it was right. Knowing the area well, I do not think students had to wear uniforms to college. Hence I think this action was wrong.
Also I find it odd to interact with a woman wearing burqa. There was a female in my office who used to wear a full burqa.(Could not even see her eyes). Interacting with her was a huge pain. She used to nod her head just like that without saying anything most of the time. It was very difficult to interepret what she was saying. This became real painful during project meetings. If she was assigned some work and somebody explained the work to her, she would just nod her head. Since she was very shy in asking questions, people would assume that she had understood the work and then proceed accordingly. Generally this created a mess which required somebody else to clean up.
Re: India: Karnataka college keeps girl out for wearing headscarf
Yes but the cover everything else. How about hasidic jews who don't even shake hands with men or speak with them? Or wear wigs when they go out in public?
They freak you out too or does it just apply to muslim women?
Similar issues have been discussed multiple times. This is a private college run by a Hindu society and has a dress code. Wearing a burqa in class is not part of the dress code. This girl has been allowed to wear the burqa to college, but leave it in the ladies room when she attends class.
If she does not want to abide by the rules of the college, I am sure there would be many other colleges willing to let her wear a burqa.
So violation of the constitution is perfectly fine as long as it all applies to all students. Well done indeed. What a democracy!
India is not an Islamic nation. The school is a private body and has the right to institute a dress code which is uniform for every student.
Some schools mandate skirts as the uniform for girls. So are you going to make an issue about how Islam does not allow girls to expose their legs and so they should wear a burqa ??