A matter of shame

It is a matter of national shame that Indian society and polity has touched such a low where one is forced to debate what the people should wear and what they should not. India's clothing diversity has always been a subject of pride and fascination. Unfortunately, under the garb of uniformity in educational institutions and maintenance of public order, a religious dress of Muslim community has been banned in certain schools and colleges under the BJP-led government in Karnataka. The issue around the ban on religious headscarves, which was ignited towards the end of 2021, is escalating further with each passing day. This is no more just an issue between the college administrations in question and protesting Muslim girls. It has threateningly spread its scope to become a people versus people confrontation, with mobs of Hindu students confronting their Muslim counterparts. It should not come as a shock if, in absence of positive state intervention, incidents take an untoward turn in the coming days. The incidents unfolding in Karnataka offer a textbook example of how hate is ignited and allowed to spread to secure political benefits for a few. The abrupt decision of college administration and unilateral approval by the state government have led the state to a situation with compromised public order and national security — the terms that governments hold so dear to their heart. Setting aside the debate over the legitimacy of the ban on headscarves for a while, the question that needs to be asked is who is responsible for the turmoil in the state? Is it to be blamed upon a handful of Muslim girls who, at least in their own belief, are fighting for the rights they have been entitled to under the Constitution of India? Hopefully, the nation has not crossed the limit of shamelessness to answer this question in affirmative. Neither the protesting girls in black headscarves nor the boys in saffron shawls, and not even the students with blue headscarves are to be blamed for the grim situation. They are not the cause of chaos in Karnataka. They are rather the victims, or tools at best, all collectively, in the larger context of religious bigotry and political opportunism. Is the college administration to be blamed? Yes, partly, notwithstanding the legality of the headscarves ban — that is better left to the courts. The intent behind the dress code and also the procedural fallacies in implementing those is highly questionable. Students and their parents must be considered as stakeholders in educational institutions, who need to be consulted and taken consent from before arriving at such decisions. The anarchic manner in which the students were turned away from classes for wearing headscarves and shawls is unjustifiable. Going by the accounts of protesting Muslim girls, the college administration also allegedly used coercive methods to make the protestors resign. The larger objective of educational institutions is being defied in front of our eyes. Even bigger question is how has the state government allowed the deterioration of the situation under its nose? The state's silent support to the educational institutions in question is one of the key factors behind emboldening the college administrations. Political analysts will question whether the silence and support have to do anything with saffron votes, riding on which the government came to power and must be looking forward to winning again in upcoming assembly elections. Furthermore, no less disturbing is the silence of Central leadership. It is true that their condemnation of the ongoing developments in Karnataka may hurt them politically at this moment. But at least, they should speak to defend the principles of the Constitution and the fundamental rights to religion and education. They must speak harshly against the unfolding hatred between sections of students. Hate, as is known, spreads like fire — sweeping everything that comes its way. The headscarves ban issue is already making negative headlines the world over and is being condemned globally. Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai tweeted "Refusing to let girls go to school in their hijabs is horrifying". She related the ban with "Objectification of women". These are grave allegations, and offer a reason to feel ashamed because India — a country that is known to teach the world the lesson of love — is being preached against hatred, and not without reasons. While the judiciary decides on the legal aspects of the matter, all the concerned stakeholders must understand their responsibility in propagating love, not hate.