Thiruvananthapuram: The eighth-grade student, who had been in the eye of a storm since wearing a hijab (headscarf) to her church-run school in Kochi earlier this month, shifted to another school Friday.
The student’s parents said the controversy—which has extended to over a week now—was causing severe mental distress to their child, forcing them to shift her to another school.
However, the principal, who had cited a school uniform policy violation to bar her from classes, maintained that the doors are open if the student complies with the rules.
Commenting on Friday’s development, Education Minister V. Sivankutty said the student had every right to continue her education in her school. He said it was ironic that the principal—a nun in a veil—had prohibited a student from wearing a headscarf. Holding the school management responsible for the mental distress the student suffered, the Kerala minister stressed that those who hindered her right to education will be held accountable.
“We have a Constitution. For the last week, she has been going through immense stress. It’s not right to behave like this towards a kid. It should have been a smaller issue, solved within the school itself. The government’s stand is to protect her education,” V. Sivankutty told the media Friday.
On Friday, the Kerala HC, which has been hearing a petition by the school against a government order to allow the student in classes in her hijab, also refused to grant an interim stay on the order. The case was postponed for further hearing.
Since the controversy broke out, the principal has stuck to her stance that the dress code applies to every student. This, despite Kerala minister Sivankutty repeatedly calling for a reversal of its decision, citing “serious violation” of the student’s fundamental rights.
‘Don’t want a communal row’
On 7 October, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)-affiliated St Rita’s Public School in Palluruthy, Kochi, barred the Class 8 student, who was wearing a hijab that day, from classes. Afterwards, her parents approached the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala with a complaint against the school.
As protests broke out against the school, its management approached the local police and the Kerala High Court, seeking protection. The school even shut down on 13-14 October, as the row appeared to spiral out of control.
The state education department and the school management got into a standoff, as the former published a report citing serious lapses in the latter’s conduct. However, school and church groups in Kerala, along with the Bharatiya Janata Party, hit back, alleging that the LDF government was indulging in appeasement politics.
Earlier on Friday, Anas Naina, the father of the 13-year-old student, said that bad-faith actors were using the issue to create communal tension in society.
“My daughter was disheartened to hear that her going to school wearing a hijab is causing fear among students. The government supported us after my complaint. However, I decided that she should change schools, as the issue could have led to communal tension. I will not proceed with the complaint, as I don’t want a communal row,” Anas Naina told reporters in Kochi.
School principal Sister Heleena Alby said that the student will be welcomed to St Rita’s Public School wholeheartedly, if and when she complies with the school uniform policies.
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Pushback to the LDF govt
The standoff between the student and the school became a war of words between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and the church management this week.
On Wednesday, the school management strongly criticised a report by the Ernakulam Deputy Director of Education (DDE) on the matter, calling it “false and misleading”.
Based on the report filed Tuesday after directions from Kerala minister Sivankutty, the school was asked to give an explanation. The education minister, on the same day, said that the DDE had found serious lapses by the school management, emphasising that the school could not discriminate against a child for wearing a hijab but could decide the colour of the hijab, without compromising on its uniform policies.
However, Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden, at the time, said that the student’s parents were willing to comply with school policies.
The school, meanwhile, pushed back, saying that it can decide its dress code under prevailing rules. No matter what, the school had not expelled the student, Sister Heleena Alby, the principal of St Rita’s Public School, said.
On the same day, Catholic newspaper Deepika alleged that the demand for wearing a hijab to school was ‘twisting’ the concept of religious freedom.
“Let the management of all schools, including the one in Palluruthy, decide on uniforms. Those who are not interested can choose schools that allow religious manifestations,” the editorial stated, accusing Kerala minister Sivankutty of acting as a spokesperson for sectarianism.
The Kerala BJP also slammed the intervention of the LDF government and the Congress, accusing the LDF government, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), of twisting the definition of secularism and prioritising appeasement politics.
“The recent intimidation incident at St Rita school exposes (yet again) both the Cong & CPMs ‘appeasement over rights’ politics. Cong and CPM are political twins who share the same tortured appeasement definition of ‘secularism’,” Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar, also the only BJP MP in Kerala from Thrissur, which has a significant Christian population, posted on X Friday.
“Kerala and its future will not be decided by SDPI, Jamaat Islami, Hamas (or their allies Cong, CPM)…. Secularism is NOT allowing Hamas to spread their poison of violence, is NOT about SDPI / Jamaat imposing their Sharia/antidemocratic will on other Malayalees,” Chandrasekhar added.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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