NEW DELHI: The Karnataka High Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, is due to pronounce the judgement on the hijab issue on Tuesday morning. The matter has been listed in the first half of the day.
The three-judge bench, which also comprised Justice Krishna S. Dixit and Justice Khaji Jaibunnesa Mohiyuddin, had reserved the matter for judgement earlier after hearing arguments and counterarguments.
Six students from the Udupi Pre-University College for girls had started a protest over being refused to enter classes wearing a hijab, and the protest spread to other districts to become a major controversy, and even led to tension, as some Hindu students started coming in saffron shawls. The girls approached the High Court and demanded that they should be allowed to enter classrooms while wearing hijabs.
As it issued interim orders that no hijab or saffron shawl is allowed in the schools and colleges, petitioners have challenged this in the Supreme Court. However, the apex court refused to hear the matter and asked the petitioners to seek relief from the High Court.
Here’s the timeline of the Karnataka hijab ban row
December 2021: Six students of Udupi Women’s PU College staged a protest as college authorities did not let hijab clad girls inside the classroom
January 3: Hindu students of Government College in Koppa, Chikmagalur, have staged a protest. They demanded for permission to wear saffron scarves if Muslim girl students were allowed to wear hijabs.
January 6: Similar protests erupt in Pompei college of Mangaluru.
January 14: The protesting female Muslim students in Udupi accused their principal is not allowing them to attend classes.
January 26: The Karnataka Education Department formed a committee to prepare guidelines on uniforms at PU colleges across the state. The PU board has also asked colleges to maintain the status quo until then.
January 27: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notice to the Karnataka government for not letting girl students enter the government college in Udupi.
January 31: Case reaches High Court as Students from Udupi Women’s PU college request interim relief from HC to attend classes wearing hijab.
February 2: Kundapur Government PU college shut its gates to girl students wearing hijab as Hindu students carrying Saffron scarves. Similar protest in another college of Shivamogga District.
February 3: Now another college in Kundapur college admin shut its gates to students wearing Hijab and Saffron Scarves. More protests in Byndoor Government PU College.
February 5: Bhandarkar’s college in Udupi denied entry to students wearing hijab or saffron shawls. Students shouting “Jai Shree Ram” slogans outside the college.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government ordered a ban on wearing clothes that disturb equality, integrity and public order. “Invoking 133 (2) of the Karnataka Education Act-1983, which says a uniform style of clothes has to be worn compulsorily. The private school administration can choose a uniform of their choice,” the government order said.
February 7: Government PU College Kundapura allows students to wear hijab but they were seated in separate classrooms. In a separate incident, a stand-off ensued between students wearing saffron and blue shawls in Chikkamagaluru.
February 7: CM Bommai appeals to students to maintain peace.
February 8: Karnataka HC hears petition on Hijab row. The court asked students and the public at large to maintain peace and added that it would hear the case only on the basis of the Constitution and “not by passion or emotions’ ‘. CM Basavaraj Bommai ordered all high schools and colleges to remain shut for three days.
February 9: Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi constituted a full bench to hear the Hijab row. Justices Krishna S Dixit and JM Khazi were accompanying the CJ.
February 10: The SC refused to list a plea seeking transfer of hijab row petitions from the Karnataka High Court to the apex court on urgent basis.
February 14: As schools opened in Karnataka; pictures and videos pouring in, showing students and teachers being asked to take off their hijab and burqa before entering the campus.
February 16: Pre-university colleges and schools opened a few days ago were shut for a week.
February 23: The Karnataka High Court stated that its interim order in the hijab case is applicable to all educational institutions as long as the matter is sub-judice. Court also said that if an institute wants, it may prescribe a uniform at any given time.
February 25: The Karnataka High Court reserved its judgement in the hijab row after a marathon hearing in the case.
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