Mangaluru varsity students protest hijab ban

Mangaluru: Students under the banner of Mangaluru University Student Coordination Committee held a protest near the clock tower here against the ban on hijab. Over 300 students participated in the protest.

The protesters claimed that the Mangaluru University was misusing the High Court verdict and sent a circular to all the 212 colleges coming under its ambit to ban hijab citing the High Court order.

Shouting "Allahu Akbar", the students held the protest for more than one hour. They raised anti-government slogans and held banners in support of the hijab. The students had heated exchanges with the police when they were stopped from marching towards the clock tower. Hijab-clad girl students squatted on the road and shouted "Allahu Akbar". According to the committee leader Umar Mukthar, the Mangaluru University was misinterpreting the High Court order and taking decisions unilaterally.

The banners depicted Muskaan, a Mandya college student who became popular when she stood up to students wearing saffron stoles who asked her to remove hijab. In a deliberate attempt at diminution of the saffron-clad students in front of the girl, they were depicted as specks around her on the banners. An activist admitted that the artist who drew it wanted to show them as tiny as possible in front of the 'giant' Muskaan.

The Mangaluru University Students union and Mangalore University All Colleges Student Union did not take part in the protest.