Schools have right to decide on their uniforms: Kerala Governor on Hijab row

Representation pic

Amid the controversy surrounding whether Hijab should be allowed in Schools or not, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said on Friday that "Schools have the right to decide their uniforms". "Schools have the right to decide their uniforms. They are not bringing any restriction on any individual," he said in Kaushami in Uttar Pradesh.

He said that it is recognised around the world that schools have the right to decide on uniforms and he dismissed it as a curb on individual liberty. "People are free to wear whatever they want. Schools have the right to decide on uniforms. And this right( of school management) is recognised worldwide. It(instruction of the schools regarding uniforms ) should be followed. It's not a ban on any individual,"

The hijab row erupted in the country in January 2022 when the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing the hijab from entering. Following this, the girls protested outside the college over being denied entry. Boys from several colleges in Udupi started attending classes wearing saffron scarves. The protest spread to other parts of the state as well leading to protests and agitations in several places in Karnataka.

As a result, the Karnataka government said that all students must adhere to the uniform and banned both hijab and saffron scarves till an expert committee decided on the issue.On February 5, the pre-University education board released a circular stating that the students could only wear the uniform approved by the school administration and that no other religious attire would be allowed in colleges.

A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi had earlier held that the prescription of uniform is a reasonable restriction that students could not object to and dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions saying they are without merit.

But the appeal against the High Court verdict is now pending in the Supreme Court. It is also reported in the media that the newly elected Congress government in Karnataka is now considering the removal of the ban on hijab in some government educational institutions in Karnataka.

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