The Karnataka high court’s Tuesday order upholding the ban on wearing hijab in schools and colleges has evoked mixed response with Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan lauding the move while Muslim League and Popular Front of India (PFI) deploring the same.
Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan, while welcoming the high court (HC) order, said that all should welcome the verdict and there is no need for any debate on the issue now. “We all should help these young girls to do more for themselves and the country. We have to surge ahead and I wish them all success,” he said.
When the issue raged in neighbouring Karnataka last month, the governor had said that hijab was unnecessary and there were instances of women refusing the veil when one traces the history of Islam.
The high court on Tuesday held that hijab is not essential to Islam and there is no need to interfere with the uniform policy in the educational institutions.
The PFI, an outfit representing Muslims, also decried the verdict. “The verdict is really disappointing. The judgment is against the constitutional values of fundamental rights and pluralism. The court is setting new precedents by interpreting religious texts,” said PFI chairman O M A Salam. The PFI’s student outfit, Campus Front of India, has been often accused of inciting Muslim students on many campuses.
