The Karnataka High Court is expected to rule on the Hijab ban today. When children were not permitted to enter schools until their headscarves were removed, the hijab, or Muslim headscarves, became a flashpoint. The restriction was challenged in court by five pupils.
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra met with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai at his residence ahead of the verdict to inform him of the security and police forces. The verdict is expected around 10:30 a.m. by the court.
To “protect public peace and order,” the state administration has prohibited big gatherings in Bengaluru for a week. From March 15 to 19, Mangalore has also banned huge gatherings. Today is a holiday at Udupi district schools and institutions, according to the district government.
Last month, the Karnataka High Court temporarily outlawed religious clothing, including Hijab and saffron scarves, after the controversy erupted into protests with some Muslim students were harassed by students wearing saffron scarves, claiming they were also tied to religious identity.
The petitioners, which include a dozen Muslim female students, claim that wearing the headscarf is a fundamental right guaranteed by India’s constitution and an important Islamic ritual. The High Court reserved its decision on February 25 after eleven days of hearings.
Since then, teachers and students have been barred from entering schools and institutions in several regions of the state for wearing the hijab.
Videos showing students and teachers removing their hijabs in public in order to get access to educational facilities sparked widespread outrage. After that, the High Court emphasised that the temporary restriction only applied to students, not teachers.
Late last year, the hijab controversy arose in Karnataka, when students at a school in Udupi refused to remove their headscarves and stop wearing them despite demands from teachers. After that, five pupils went to court.
Karnataka outlawed “clothing that was against law and order” on February 5, and the High Court of Karnataka temporarily banned all religious garments on February 10 while hearing petitions contesting the restrictions.
Over 100 students were not allowed to take the final practical tests while the case was being heard at the court, which had reserved judgement.
The Karnataka government argued before the high court late last month that wearing the hijab is not an essential Islamic religious practice, and that prohibiting it does not violate the state’s constitutional protection of religious freedom.
Karnataka’s decision sparked protests across the country and garnered condemnation from the US and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
