Bangalore, Aug 19 (Inditop.com) A government-aided college in a communally sensitive Karnataka district Wednesday justified its decision to bar Muslim girl students from wearing head scarf or veil on the campus and asserted it will not change the rules.
The principal of Sri Venkataramana Swamy College in Bantwal in the coastal Dakshina Kannada district, Seetaram Mayya defended the college’s decision saying that only one Muslim girl out of 23 in the college was not willing to follow the rules.
He, however, told Inditop on phone from Bantwal Wednesday that the college prospectus does not specifically mention ban on head scarf or burqa.
“But during interview (for admission to the college), we make it clear to all students and their parents/guardians that the students will have to follow the rules and regulations as and when they are made.”
“This was made clear to this particular student also and she agreed to it. Now she is being stubborn about not following the rules,” Mayya said.
The student, Aysha Ashmin, joined the college for her Bachelor of Commerce course this academic year, after completing her pre-university course (Class 12) from another college.
“The matter will be settled as she wants to leave our college and pursue her education in a different college. We do not want any controversy over our rules and regulations,” Mayya said.
The college gets state government aid and has sent a report to the directorate of collegiate education in Bangalore on the issue.
The directorate has the authority to grant or bar aid to colleges.
“We have sent a report to the directorate and are awaiting their response,” Mayya said.
A spokesperson for the joint director of collegiate education, Mangalore, the district’s main town, told Inditop on phone: “We have sent Aug 18 a report to our head office in Bangalore on the issue and are awaiting directions.”
In Bangalore, a spokesperson of the directorate said: “We will decide the action on studying the report.”
The college is affiliated to Mangalore University.
Ashmin met university Vice Chancellor K.M. Kaveriappa Aug 18 and sought his intervention to resolve the issue or get her admission to another college affiliated to the university.
Kaveriappa told reporters in Mangalore that the university authorities can do little about the matter as colleges can form their own rules and regulations. However, since the college gets government aid, the directorate of collegiate education can act on the issue.
Dakshina Kannada frequently sees communal tension, mainly over Muslim youth talking to Hindu girls. On January 25 this year a group of right-wing Hindu activists had bashed up young girls for visiting a pub.
A few days later, daughter of a Kerala legislator was held for two hours as she was found talking to two Muslim boys in a bus. The two young men were roughed up while the girl was released unharmed.
