The state court released a statement saying hijabs are not an “essential religious practice in Islamic faith” and dismissed a set of petitions filed by Muslim students denied entry to classrooms in multiple schools and colleges across the state.

The court added that uniform requirements are “reasonable restriction, constitutionally permissible and which the students cannot object to.”

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai appealed for the people to calm down after the ruling. Many fear that it could spark a large protest.

“I request everybody to follow the high court order and maintain peace and order,” Bommai told reporters Tuesday. “And allow the children to do their education as usual.”

The controversy began when a small number of students protested outside their school. They were not allowed to wear their hijabs in class. Many have since joined the group which has been met by their classmates wearing saffron scarves. The initial protest regarding the uniform has blown into chants related to religion.

The dispute was seen as a symbol of deepening religious tensions in the state, where authorities ordered the closure of all high schools and colleges for several days to discourage protests in early February. Rallies in the state’s capital, Bengaluru, were also banned outside educational institutions for two weeks.

Scores of women from other Indian cities, including the capital Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata, also took to the streets in support of the Muslim girls.

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#hijabrow protests have spread all over India as more women stand up for their rights. The confrontation has begun to escalate the religious divide that has been simmering for some time. It began in January when a group of girls protested outside their school after they were denied entry. The girls petitioned the state’s top court to lift the ban, prompting rival protests from other students.

Activists say that this is an example of the current trend in India. They have seen a crackdown on India’s minority Muslim population. This was since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP came to power nearly eight years ago. They argue that the Indian constitution gave religious freedom to everyone. Not allowing Muslim women to wear hijab is denying them their rights.

“This is a massive attempt by the BJP to homogenize Indian culture, to make it a Hindu-only state,” said Muslim activist Afreen Fatima. “Muslim women are isolated in India. And the situation is getting worse every day.”

The protests have spread to other cities of Karnataka and even Delhi. Students took to the streets holding placards and shouting slogans to express their anger at the ban. Pretests have also begun in Kolkata and Hyderabad.

BJP

BJP-ruled Karnataka ordered a three-day closure of all high schools and colleges amid the growing tensions. On Wednesday authorities in the state’s capital, Bengaluru banned protests outside schools for two weeks.

Karnataka’s education minister B.C. Nagesh said he supported banning the hijab in educational institutions. He cited the state’s mandate on religious attire. “Government is very firm that the school is not a platform to practice dharma (religion),” he said.

According to lawyer Mohammed Tahir, Karnataka is a “hotbed” of the Hindutva. An ideology supported by many right-wing groups, which seeks to make India the land of the Hindus. He also said that religious tension in the state will likely increase ahead of pivotal state elections next year.

The #hijabrow protests continue to spread across the country that is mostly populated by Hindus. What began as a simple protest for uniforms has now escalated into a religious divide. We should take into consideration that educational institutions want to encourage equality. Schools have stated that they do not want to encourage inequality be it due to caste, social status, or religion. This is why they stand firm on their decision not to allow changes to their uniform.

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#hijabrow has gained national headlines as religious tensions in the area increased. The dispute states that wearing a hijab is a fundamental right to religion guaranteed by the constitution. Twitter blew up yesterday as #hijabrow and #saffronscarf became the trending topic.

Many ahs posted comments regarding their support for either side. Among those that went viral is a Muslim girl seemingly trying to fend off boys wearing saffron scarves. Many expressed their support for the girl. They have sighted that wearing the hijab was her right. Another side of the coin shows the same girl in various photos seemingly preferring not to wear one.

The issue stems from the college’s uniform mandate. Many took to Twitter to express that the uniform is their way of expressing social equality. The schools said that the institutions encourage equality from caste, social-economic status, or religion. This is why they prefer a standard uniform.

Others sighted that Sheikhs are allowed to wear their turbans then Muslims should be allowed to wear their hijab and burkas. Another tweeter user said that if the hijab is their right, then the saffron scarf is ours.

Other sighted that many Muslim countries around are against wearing hijabs as it has become a symbol of women’s oppression.

In other institutions, their fellow students came to protest against the #hijabrow that at some point it became a chant of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Allahu Akbar”. Many also sighted that this should not stem from a war between religions.

Court Ruling

At a court ruling, the local court decided that “a larger bench” should decide on the case. The case is based on the student’s dispute that they should be allowed to wear their hijabs and burkas.

Social media has followed the trend as it continues to grow.

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