Amid hijab row, a refrain from a Kerala school: ‘Idea is to be inclusive, that’s what India stands for’

Last Tuesday, the ongoing row over the right to wear hijab Muslim students in Karnataka escalated when visuals showed a Muslim girl, wearing a burqa, being heckled a large group of boys wearing saffron shawls at a college in Mandya. The video showed the girl standing her ground, shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ as the boys from the other end chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Over 400 kms away from that pre-university college in Mandya, Shybu KP, who teaches English for students of 11th and 12th grade at the Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) in Edappally in Kerala, is a worried man. He said he watched with anxiety how schools and colleges in the neighbouring state were erupting with religious tensions.
“What’s happening in Karnataka is condemnable. Not being allowing to enter schools, they (Muslim girl students) are being subjected to a lot of trauma. The issue (over hijab) should have been solved through amicable discussions between parents, teachers and students,” said Shybu.

He recalled an incident at a school where he previously taught where a similar incident over religious attire was nipped in the bud school officials before it could flare into something big. “One day, a Muslim boy came to class wearing a skull cap. He was from an orphanage and quite obstinate about wearing it. Since it was the time of the Sabarimala annual pilgrimage, a few Hindu boys said they, too, wanted to come to class wearing black attire in keeping with the 41-day vow they take. Immediately, we realised that this could descend into major trouble. We told both sides that school was not a place to display their religious identity,” he said.
“Whatever freedoms our Constitution promises, they must be followed. That’s the priority. At the same time, religious manifestations must not be allowed at our schools. It’s dangerous. If something is being deliberately done (to provoke), it must be stopped,” Shybu added.

A case in point, he underlined, was the strict instruction the Kerala government not to allow the display of any kind of religious identity or symbol during the formation of student police cadets. “But there was a section of people that criticised it. School is where everything begins and where we respect each other and be tolerant of each other’s beliefs. (If such religious strife continues), we have to worry about what kind of citizens they turn into.”
At GHSS Edappally, one of the largest government schools in Ernakulam drict of Kerala, there are no rules in place barring any kind of religious attire like hijab or burqa. Students in all grades wear a uniform set the local parent-teacher association in keeping with the rules of the education department. It helps teachers and school staff identify students and for the latter to get concessions in bus fare. A total of 720 students study in 11th and 12th grades of the school, out of which around 150 belong to the Muslim community. More than half of them are girls.
Hana Fathima Ashraf, a 12th grade student, said most Muslim girls at the school wear a simple ‘thattam’ or ‘veil’ that covers their head. Very few wear a hijab and even fewer wear burqa to classes. “There are even those who don’t even wear a ‘thattam’. It’s their wish what they want to wear. Every Muslim family may have their own customs and traditions,” she said.
Reacting to the developments in Karnataka, Hana said, “I don’t think hijab should be banned. It’s connected to someone’s beliefs, why do you want to ban it? What’s happening in Karnataka is wrong. Many of my friends here have shared posts on social media condemning it.”

Her batchmate Afni Fathima, who wears a ‘thattam’ to classes, said she has never faced any issues from her friends or school officials over the attire. “They understand our beliefs and customs,” she said.
Sankaranarayanan, principal of the school’s higher secondary division, underlined that religious attire has never been a topic of debate at the PTA meetings as everyone is mindful of beliefs and sentiments. “Ideally, we should not impose anything on anyone. There may be sentiments attached to someone’s religious identity. The idea is to be inclusive and welcome everyone. Isn’t that what India stands for?” he said.
Sankaranarayanan, principal of the higher secondary division at GHSS Edappally | Express photo
While the government has recommended the use of uniforms in schools, it has not expressly made it mandatory, said Sankaranarayanan. “The government understands that a lot of people are going through financial dress right now and it’s not right to impose anything on them. When we give orders to retailers, we ask them to apply discounts and give us extra uniforms for kids who cannot afford it. That’s how we do it,” he said.