Under the guise
We live in a patriarchal society. From telling women what to do and what not to do, and how to be, to conditioning them into fitting into a world that is more suited for the masculine community, men have always taken pleasure in taking control of the lives of women and establish superiority over them. Religion is one way which has allowed men to make rules to keep women under their control. What happened in Udupi, followed by the rest of the state of Karnataka, is proof enough that women have been subjects to such unfairness and unjustness since the beginning.
In February 2022, six girls from Government P U College in Udupi, Karnataka, were stopped at the gate by the principal of the college and asked to remove their head scarves(hijabs), stating that hijab is a religious piece of clothing and schools and educational institutions are not the places to display such religious symbols. Nothing is more heart breaking than to witness young girls, as old as sixteen or seventeen years, having to choose between their right to education and right to freedom (of religion). The politics of hatred and division has been sown so deep, that it is starting to show in young school going children. We witnessed teachers and the heads of educational institutions deny entry to girls wearing Hijab, and children turn against their own friends of years, and classmates, over religion. Hundreds of young children wore saffron shawls and marched on the streets, while chanting ‘Jai Sri Ram’ to show opposition to girls in hijab.
As secular and tolerant as we would like to think India is, our country still has a long way to go. Secularism and religious equality sound good in theory, but it has always been difficult to achieve such a Herculean task in a country that is home to many religions and ethnicities. The irony is that, under the guise of being secular, people are discriminating against people based on their religion. People who are of the opinion that hijabs must not be allowed in schools, because they are religious symbols, need to ask themselves why schools must be allowed to keep idols of Hindu Gods at their entrance? or portraits of Hindu Gods, poojas or celebration of festivals at Government offices be allowed? Or symbols like Tika, Janeu, Cross, turban, etc., be allowed to wear at schools and Government offices? How is it fair to people who practise the many and different religions that are a part of our country’s identity? The sooner the people who think that, by condemning hijabs at educational institutions, they are being right and upholding secularism, realise and understand that Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution makes provision for the citizens of India, of any sex, caste, religion, to exercise their right to education and right to freedom of choice and religion. India is a democratic nation, unlike China (where any kind of face veils are banned), or Iran (a theocratic nation, where hijabs and burqa are compulsory for women). Women of India have the right to freedom to choose to wear or not to wear hijabs.
Religion is an extremely sensitive topic; one must be as considerate and respectful as possible while having opinions on someone else’s religion. In India, a democratic and a politically polarised nation, religions have always been at war with each other, and this has only benefitted the political parties and its leaders. Political leaders often use religion as a political tool for political gains; this time, it was girls in hijab. A lot of times, these ‘leaders’ think of a Muslim woman in burqa (or hijab, in this case) as someone oppressed, and in need of rescue. What they do not realise is that wearing hijab, for a lot of Muslim women, is a personal choice. It is liberating in ways we cannot even fathom. Hijab allows these girls to step out of their homes, get an education and make something out of their selves. In South Asian households, girls are not allowed to make their own decisions. By asking girls to take off their hijabs, we are taking away their future and freedom, especially when the constitution of India guarantees both.
Having said that, the hijab, like Mangal Sutra, is of course patriarchal; modern Muslin women who have the means, courage, and privilege to fight, are fighting a battle against such articles and tools that were originally introduced to oppress women. We must remember that, this is their battle to fight and only they have the right to question the hijab. Any revolution must always begin within the system. People who do not follow the religion, must refrain themselves from making comments that might hurt religious sentiments of the people who follow it.
We are the land of Savitribai Phule and Fatima Sheikh, where both the women stood hand in hand, fought an oppressive system, day and night for women and minority communities, and their rights, and became the first female teacher and the first female Muslim teacher respectively, in India. We are the land of of Dr Ambedkar and Dr Kalam, both of whom belonged to minority communities, shared a common goal for the country, and for whose contribution the whole of the nation is ever grateful- to see a prosperous, inclusive, and developed India. We are the land of Mahatma Gandhi and the Frontier Gandhi, who believed in peace and equality. We are the land of Sufis and Sants, who pray for the betterment of humanity. The Indian sub-continent is known for providing shelter for whoever seeks, and nurturing them. Religion must never be the reason for the division of a nation as diverse as India.
In February 2022, six girls from Government P U College in Udupi, Karnataka, were stopped at the gate by the principal of the college and asked to remove their head scarves(hijabs), stating that hijab is a religious piece of clothing and schools and educational institutions are not the places to display such religious symbols. Nothing is more heart breaking than witnessing young girls, as old as sixteen or seventeen years, having to choose between their right to education and right to freedom (of religion). The politics of hatred and division have been sown so deep, that it is starting to show in young school going children. We witnessed teachers and the heads of educational institutions denying entry to girls wearing Hijab, and children turn against their own friends of years, and classmates, over religion. Hundreds of young children wore saffron shawls and marched on the streets, while chanting ‘Jai Sri Ram’ to show opposition to girls in hijab.
As secular and tolerant as we would like to think India is, our country still has a long way to go. Secularism and religious equality sound good in theory, but it has always been difficult to achieve a Herculean task as this, in a country that is home to many religions and ethnicities. Isn’t it ironical that, under the guise of secularism, people are discriminating against people based on religion? People who are of the opinion that hijabs must not be allowed in schools, because they are religious symbols, need to ask themselves why schools must be allowed to keep idols of Hindu Gods at their entrance? or portraits of Hindu Gods, poojas or celebration of festivals at Government offices be allowed? Or symbols like Tika, Janeu, Cross, turban, etc., be allowed to wear at schools and Government offices? How is it fair to people who practise the many and different religions that are a part of our country’s identity? The sooner the people who think that, by condemning hijabs at educational institutions they are being right and upholding secularism, realise and understand that Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution makes provision for the citizens of India, of any sex, caste, religion, to exercise their right to education and right to freedom of choice and religion. India is a democratic nation, unlike China (where any kind of face veils are banned), or Iran (a theocratic nation, where hijabs and burqa are compulsory for women). Women of India have the right to freedom to choose to wear or not to wear hijabs.
Religion is an extremely sensitive topic; one must be as considerate and respectful as possible while having opinions on someone else’s religion. In India, a democratic and a politically polarised nation, religions have always been at war with each other, and this has only benefitted the political parties and its leaders. Political leaders often use religion as a political tool for political gains; this time, it was girls in hijab. A lot of times, these ‘leaders’ think of a Muslim woman in burqa (or hijab, in this case) as someone oppressed, and in need of rescue. What they do not realise is that wearing hijab, for a lot of Muslim women, is a personal choice. It is liberating in ways we cannot even fathom. Hijab allows these girls to step out of their homes, get an education and make something out of their selves. In South Asian households, girls are not allowed to make their own decisions. By asking girls to take off their hijabs, we are taking away their future and freedom, especially when the constitution of India guarantees both.
Having said that, the hijab, like Mangal Sutra, is of course patriarchal; modern Muslin women who have the means, courage, and privilege to fight, are fighting a battle against such articles and tools that were originally introduced to oppress women. We must remember that, this is their battle to fight and only they have the right to question the hijab. Any revolution must always begin within the system. People who do not follow the religion, must refrain themselves from making comments that might hurt the sentiments of people who follow it.
We are the land of Savitribai Phule and Fatima Sheikh, where both the women stood hand in hand, fought an oppressive system, day and night for women and minority communities, and their rights, and became the first female teacher and the first female Muslim teacher respectively, in India. We are the land of of Dr Ambedkar and Dr Kalam, both of whom belonged to minority communities, shared a common goal for the country, and for whose contribution the whole of the nation is ever grateful- to see a prosperous, inclusive, and developed India. We are the land of Mahatma Gandhi and the Frontier Gandhi, who believed in peace and equality. We are the land of Sufis and Sants, who pray for the betterment of humanity. The Indian sub-continent is known for providing shelter for whoever seeks, and nurturing them. Religion must never be the reason for the division of a nation as diverse as India.
