BENGALURU/JALANDHAR: A 17-year-old girl amidst a heated debate on whether hijab is allowed in colleges in Karnataka Amritdhari (gave baptism) Sikh The girl was asked by her college to remove her turban as the college has a uniform dress code and she would have to comply with the Karnataka High Court’s February 10 interim order asking students to wear “saffron shawls, hijabs and religious flags or this in classes”. Others of the kind were barred from wearing of those colleges which have prescribed a uniform”.
With the girl’s family insisting that the college never discriminated and has always been very considerate and courteous, the Karnataka government and the High Court will have to clarify and issue directions on the matter.
student of Mount Carmel PU CollegeBengaluru, who is also the student union president, was politely asked to take off her turban for the first time on February 16, which she refused. The college later spoke to her father and said that they understood the importance of a turban for a Sikh but were bound by the High Court order.
“We have no problem with a girl wearing a turban as of now. When the college reopened on 16 February, we informed all the students about the High Court order and we went on with our normal activities. On Tuesday, when the Deputy Director of Pre-University Education (North) visited the college, he found a group of girls in hijabs asking them to come to the office and tell them about the High Court order. These girls are now demanding that no girl should be allowed to wear their religious symbols and hence Sikh girl should also not be allowed to wear turban. We spoke to the girl’s father and later mailed him. We informed them about the order and asked them to follow it. The father replied that it (turban) was an integral part of his life. We didn’t want to interfere, but other girls are insisting on uniformity and that’s why we sent the mail,” said a spokesperson for Mount Carmel PU College.
“We are never sending them out or forcing anyone, we are just telling them that we need uniformity in the four walls of classrooms as per the HC order. In our letter to the father, we have specifically mentioned that we believe in an inclusive society and respect all religious practices. As per the vision and mission of the college, we follow inter-religious harmony and have an active inter-religious association,” the college said.
When asked about the issue, Deputy Director of Pre-University Education (North) G Sriram said: “Nothing has been said about turban in the HC order. We should not get dragged into issues anymore. We just have to follow the order of the High Court. When I asked the principal, he said that the girls are confident and now there is no problem in the college.
girl’s father, Gurcharan SinghThe man, who works at a senior level in a large IT company and has been living in Karnataka for the past 17 years, said she told the college authorities that she would not take off her turban.
“She has never faced any discrimination in college till now. Even now they seem to be stuck in a dire situation while responding to the High Court order,” he told TOI.
He wrote to the college that the High Court order did not mention anything about ‘Sikh turban’ and it should not be misunderstood. “However, I am also in touch with my community advocates and various organisations,” he said, urging the authorities to allow his daughter to attend classes with her turban on. After the latest conversation with the college administration, Gurcharan Singh has contacted the senior advocate HS Phoolka and asked for their opinion.
When contacted TOI on Wednesday evening, Phoolka said, “I am sending them my opinion that neither the HC order nor the government order prohibits the Sikh turban.”
Gurcharan Singh informed Jitendra SinghAdministrator of Shri Guru Singh Sabha, Ulsoor, Bangalore regarding this issue.
“Asking a Sikh to take off his turban is a great insult to a Sikh and to the entire Sikh community. We also stand with those Muslim girls/women who want to cover their heads with dupatta/dupatta as a part of their faith and request the authorities to allow them to do so as it is already in our country. It’s common and doesn’t cause any problems. other people. The color of the scarf and dastar (turban) may match the uniform of the institution,” he wrote.
With the girl’s family insisting that the college never discriminated and has always been very considerate and courteous, the Karnataka government and the High Court will have to clarify and issue directions on the matter.
student of Mount Carmel PU CollegeBengaluru, who is also the student union president, was politely asked to take off her turban for the first time on February 16, which she refused. The college later spoke to her father and said that they understood the importance of a turban for a Sikh but were bound by the High Court order.
“We have no problem with a girl wearing a turban as of now. When the college reopened on 16 February, we informed all the students about the High Court order and we went on with our normal activities. On Tuesday, when the Deputy Director of Pre-University Education (North) visited the college, he found a group of girls in hijabs asking them to come to the office and tell them about the High Court order. These girls are now demanding that no girl should be allowed to wear their religious symbols and hence Sikh girl should also not be allowed to wear turban. We spoke to the girl’s father and later mailed him. We informed them about the order and asked them to follow it. The father replied that it (turban) was an integral part of his life. We didn’t want to interfere, but other girls are insisting on uniformity and that’s why we sent the mail,” said a spokesperson for Mount Carmel PU College.
“We are never sending them out or forcing anyone, we are just telling them that we need uniformity in the four walls of classrooms as per the HC order. In our letter to the father, we have specifically mentioned that we believe in an inclusive society and respect all religious practices. As per the vision and mission of the college, we follow inter-religious harmony and have an active inter-religious association,” the college said.
When asked about the issue, Deputy Director of Pre-University Education (North) G Sriram said: “Nothing has been said about turban in the HC order. We should not get dragged into issues anymore. We just have to follow the order of the High Court. When I asked the principal, he said that the girls are confident and now there is no problem in the college.
girl’s father, Gurcharan SinghThe man, who works at a senior level in a large IT company and has been living in Karnataka for the past 17 years, said she told the college authorities that she would not take off her turban.
“She has never faced any discrimination in college till now. Even now they seem to be stuck in a dire situation while responding to the High Court order,” he told TOI.
He wrote to the college that the High Court order did not mention anything about ‘Sikh turban’ and it should not be misunderstood. “However, I am also in touch with my community advocates and various organisations,” he said, urging the authorities to allow his daughter to attend classes with her turban on. After the latest conversation with the college administration, Gurcharan Singh has contacted the senior advocate HS Phoolka and asked for their opinion.
When contacted TOI on Wednesday evening, Phoolka said, “I am sending them my opinion that neither the HC order nor the government order prohibits the Sikh turban.”
Gurcharan Singh informed Jitendra SinghAdministrator of Shri Guru Singh Sabha, Ulsoor, Bangalore regarding this issue.
“Asking a Sikh to take off his turban is a great insult to a Sikh and to the entire Sikh community. We also stand with those Muslim girls/women who want to cover their heads with dupatta/dupatta as a part of their faith and request the authorities to allow them to do so as it is already in our country. It’s common and doesn’t cause any problems. other people. The color of the scarf and dastar (turban) may match the uniform of the institution,” he wrote.
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