‘Like military, rules have to be followed in institutions too’: BC Nagesh

Amid the raging row over wearing ‘Hijab’ in educational institutions in Karnataka, state Education Minister BC Nagesh on Sunday said students who are unwilling to adhere to the uniform dress code are at liberty to explore other options. ‘Like military, rules have to be followed in institutions too’ BC Nagesh.

“Just as rules are followed in the military, the same is to be done here (in educational institutions) as well. Options are open for those who are not willing to follow it, which they can make use of,” Mr Nagesh told reporters in Mysuru. Karnataka primary and secondary education minister BC Nagesh on Sunday alleged “hidden hands” were behind the hijab controversy as attempts are on to make it international news.

“All these years, this problem was not reported in any college. Students were attending classes by following uniform-related rules. In December, some members of religious organisations started sowing the seeds of poison by brainwashing young minds. Though a majority of students didn’t listen, a few fell prey,” the minister alleged.

The minister appealed to the students not to become ‘tools’ in the hands of political parties. The Bommai government had on Saturday issued a circular banning clothes which disturbed peace, harmony and, law and order in the educational institutions across the state. On the circular, Mr Nagesh said the government felt the need to clarify on this matter and issued a circular.

He also clarified that the students can come to the school wearing Hijab, but inside the campus they have to place it in their bags. Wondering why the problem emerged all of a sudden when students of all the faiths were coming to schools wearing uniform, he said everyone was learning and playing together with a sense of equality but never ever have religious differences cropped up.

According to Mr Nagesh, trouble began in December when some children in Udupi were instigated to wear Hijab saying ‘Sharia’ (Islamic law) prescribes such dress code and they were duty-bound to abide by it. The minister further claimed that many children were asked to do so but a majority of them did not agree. “In Udupi school where the incident occurred, out of the 92 Muslim children only six girls came wearing Hijab and succumbed to the ‘poisonous seeds’.

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Other children came to the school wearing their school uniform,” he said. Rejecting the Congress party’s charge that the BJP government does not want Muslim students to continue their studies, Nagesh pointed out that the Karnataka Education Act was not brought by the BJP but Congress, which had ruled for maximum years in the state. The minister urged the Congress not to create divisions in the society for political gains.