Amid the hijab row in Karnataka, the government on Thursday decided to resume classes for high school students from next week, although Chief Minister Basawa Rajbomai said the High Court had said students should not wear religious attire to college.
The government’s decision to resume the curriculum to Standard X from 14 February, followed by pre-university and degree colleges, comes at a meeting between the Chief Minister and Cabinet colleagues holding a portfolio of home, primary and secondary education, and higher education made on, as well as senior officials.
“Three judges of the Karnataka High Court said they will hear the case every day and everyone should be at peace and don’t wear religious attire in universities until then (order). They also directed the reopening of educational institutions,” Bomai said.
He told reporters here that the discussions at the meeting aimed to establish peace in schools and university campuses, create an atmosphere for students to study together, and maintain law and order.
“It has been decided that from Monday until the Year 10 high school curriculum is operational, the second phase of the PUC and degree colleges will begin, with dates to be announced in due course,” he said.
The Karnataka government on Tuesday announced a three-day holiday amid violence and tensions at some schools and universities as a stand-off between the hijab (Islamic hijab) and saffron scarves.
The Hijab injunction case was heard by the full bench of the Karnataka High Court on Thursday, and the matter was announced on February 14.
Three judges, comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice J M Khazi and Justice Krishna S Dixit, were set up on Wednesday to hear a petition by Muslim schoolgirls challenging the ban on wearing the hijab.
The bench was formed after a single judge, and Justice Dixit took the matter to the chief justice in hopes of a larger bench to hear the matter.
The full bench also said it hoped to resolve the matter as soon as possible, but until then to maintain peace and tranquility.
Earlier, the chief justice asked the media not to report the judge’s opinion during the hearing.
The hijab line began in late December, when some students started wearing hijabs to the government preparatory school in Udupi. Some Hindu students wore saffron scarves to protest it.
The brawl spilled over to other educational institutions in different parts of the state, where protests took a violent turn earlier this week, prompting the government to declare the institutions a three-day holiday on Tuesday.
Complete News source : Hindustan Times
