EducationWorld

Hijab row sparks Twitter debates

EducationWorld
Hijab

Tweets regarding the Hijab controversy have sparked a debate on religious attire or symbols being permitted in educational institutions. Tweets and counter tweets have drawn support and retaliation to the Hijab issue.

In one of the prominent tweets, a debate between congress leader and MP of Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor and the Chairman of Manipal Global Education, Mohandas Pai has invoked responses from several social media users regarding the controversy over Hijab at the Government Girls PU College in Udupi, Karnataka where six girls have been denied permission to attend class over wearing a Hijab as it is not part of the uniform.

While Tharoor argued that everyone had the right to dress as they wished, Pai argued that educational institutions have a dress code to inculcate a sense of unity. He strongly recommended that educational institutions must be kept out of politics.

Tharoor opined, “It’s been a strength of India that everyone is free to wear what they want. If the hijab is disallowed, what about the Sikh turban? The Hindu’s forehead mark? The Christian’s crucifix? This college is going down a slippery slope. Let the girls in. Let them study. Let THEM decide. (sic)”

He tweeted a video of the six girls from the Government Girls PU College in Udupi, Karnataka, who have not been allowed to attend college since December.

Responding to Tharoor’s tweet, Pai urged, “Pls stop playing politics @ShashiTharoor all schools have a uniform code to create unity! Wearing this violates that code! if people want to wear something else they must petition govt to change the code, not play politics! in Kerala the govt refused to allow this in another matter! (Sic).”

In yet another debate between two prominent people, Journalist Faye Dsouza’s hypocrisy was called out by the author and columnist Anand Ranganathan. Faye had previously anchored in one of the television shows seeking schools now to allow religious symbols, hence not allowing prayers during mid-day meals. Ranganathan said, “If you can understand the logic, tomorrow if some religion orders women to be shackled in ball & chain at all times, @fayedsouza would picket the school and demand that the principal not “deprive them of education” and step aside to allow the girls to rattle and drag themselves in” he questioned tagging a tweet from Faye that read: If you can understand Kannada, you’ll be able to appreciate how strong and articulate these young women are. To deprive them of education goes against everything the founding parents of our country envisioned for us. Note: The Principal standing there without an answer to offer.”

Tweets, as old as 2018 of historian Ramachandra Guha resurfaced quoting Dr B R Ambedkar as saying, “B. R. Ambedkar: “Indeed, the Muslims have all the social evils of the Hindus and something more. That something more is the compulsory system of purdah for Muslim women. These burka women walking in the streets is one of the most hideous sights one can witness in India”.

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