Lamis is a student of Bachelors in General Psychology in Bhandarskers’ Arts and Science College, Kundapura, a town in southern Karnataka. Lamis was one of the toppers in Kundapura, with many colleges ready to accept her. But she choose Bhandarskar, as they safeguarded her right to wear headscarves to classes. Until a group of students wearing saffron shawls showed up outside her college in the first week of February.
Since then, she was never allowed to enter the campus, which was proud of her all the way. Lamis recollects what happened to her and how she was denied entry to her college:
03 February 2022, Thursday morning, I was all set and ready for my college as usual. I saw a gathering of students outside the gate. A group of students wearing saffron shawls were shouting “Jai Shri Ram”. I was horrified because their eyes were filled with rage. I moved to the college gate unaccompanied. But the college superintendent didn’t let me in saying that you are not allowed to wear hijab.
I defied his words and went to the girls’ common room and removed my burkha.
Afterward, two lecturers asked all the Muslim girls (wearing hijab) to congregate in the Audio Visual hall of the college. This made us even more frightened. A Muslim lecturer came to us and calmed us. But in a short while, our principal came and yelled at her rudely saying ”You have got nothing to do here.”
She was sent back by him disrespectfully in front of us.
The principal began by telling us that as per the order, no religious clothing is allowed on the campus. If you want to attend classes, you have to remove your hijab.
I was shattered.
My eyes were filled with tears and I couldn’t make peace with the fact that I have to remove my hijab in order to attend the classes. I knew that all of a sudden the government wouldn’t pass such order regarding hijab without us knowing. So I asked the principal to show the order that he has received.
“Get lost!!” He roared.
“You guys have no idea what I am doing in your support yet you think I’m lying about the order?”
He refused to show any order and concluded the meeting by asking us to discuss with our parents about the “order”.
We went back to the common room and called our parents. My parents were worried about me being harassed by the saffron shawl groups. Then two lecturers came and asked us to go back home. They came with us to the college gate. At that time Muslim boys of our college stood there and questioned the lecturers — these students were sent by our parents.
Lecturers scolded us by saying why are you involving boys in this matter. They took us back to the hall for fear of being recorded by the media and made us wait there for about 20 minutes. The principal came again and abused us although we had not committed any crime.
Before that, we were made to keep our bag aside so that no student may record the principal’s words. He even said that ” If there is any dark spot (us) on the shirt (college) we must remove it.”
He sent us back home again but this time while going, there were polices with us. Things were on the edge outside in Kundapura.
The next day, all hijab-wearing girls went together because we were afraid of the students in saffron shawls. As we were about to enter our college, the security closed the gates on us and locked them.
The lecturers who were standing there refused to let us in with our hijab on. We thought talking to them was not necessary and demanded to call the principal. The principal came and repeated the same things conveyed by the lecturers. I again questioned the principal to show me the order which he is following, he turned his back on us and went back to his cabin.
We were sitting outside the gate. Those lecturers who once called us as their children were now not concerned about us being seated outside the campus, barred from entering the college. “Students are like family” they had said at the beginning of the academic year. But now a part of their family is denied entry into the campus.
They have framed in the rule book that ‘Girl students are permitted to wear the headscarves’ now the one who drafted this was not letting us in.
One of the student’s guardians asked if she is let inside to talk to the principal. She was allowed to enter. But, the principal was too busy for her. She waited for about an hour. But there was no response from the principal.
Then, some Muslim boys of our college went inside the cabin and requested to let us inside the cabin. He said that he doesn’t want to turn the college into a war place because if he let us in then saffron shawl students would enter the campus saying that if the headscarves are allowed then they must also be permitted.
He even mentioned that if you want to continue your education with a hijab then don’t argue, speak to the government officials. The principal wanted to bring peace to the college by banning headscarves on the campus. He said that they will support us in this matter but they can’t come along with us.
He said he wouldn’t allow us to enter the college premises for the next three days. After hearing this we went back home and on our way home we saw many students entering the campus after removing the saffron shawls and keeping them in their bags.
These incidents happened on the 3rd and 4th of February. The high court announcement banning religious clothing in the institution was given on the 10th of February.
The Indian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to practice and promote their religion peacefully. My hijab does not violate public order, decency, or morality.
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