A state in southern India has banned students from coming with a hijab
Schools in the state of Karnataka have been closed for three days following the spread of protests against the decision.
Its opponents see it as part of the growing persecution of Modi's national Hindu government.
"Why did they start now?"
News agencies
09/02/2022
Wednesday, 09 February 2022, 14:55
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About 200 million Muslims live in India.
Demonstration against the ban in New Delhi, yesterday (Photo: Reuters)
Authorities in the southern Indian state of Karnataka have ordered the closure of schools for three days following stormy protests against the decision to ban Muslim students from wearing the hijab.
The decision has heightened fears among the Muslim minority in India of the strengthening of Hindu nationalism under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During demonstrations held yesterday in the country, police fired tear gas to disperse protesters on one of the government campuses, while police increased their presence in schools in nearby cities.
The Prime Minister of Karnataka, Baswarj Bumai, called for calm after the announcement of the closure of all high schools in the country for three days.
"I call on all students, teachers and principals of schools and colleges to maintain peace and harmony," he said.
Last month, the local government ordered female students in government schools not to wear the hijab, and later the decision was extended to other educational institutions.
In the complexes of educational institutions, Muslim students who condemned the ban on wearing the hijab confronted Hindu students who accused their classmates of interfering with their education.
"Suddenly they say we are not supposed to wear a hijab, why did they start now?"
She said she was expelled from class during a chemistry test due to her head covering.
"We are not against any religion. We are not protesting against anyone. It is only for our rights," she told AFP.
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Karnataka's Supreme Court began hearing a petition against the legality of the move yesterday, but the hearing ended yesterday before a decision was made.
Karnataka is controlled by Modi's Indian People's Party, and some of its senior members have expressed support for the ban.
Modi's opponents say his victory in the 2014 election has strengthened nationalist organizations that see India as a Hindu state and are trying to challenge its secular foundations at the expense of the large Muslim minority of some 200 million people.
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