Describing the directive as a positive step for religious freedom, educational rights, and inclusion, the organisations stressed the need for concerted effort to make classrooms more inclusive
NEW DELHI — Welcoming the Karnataka government’s decision to scrap the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) February 2022 order banning hijab in educational institutions, the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) and premier Muslim organisation, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), said it needs to be implemented in letter and spirit.
APCR is an organisation committed to encouraging democratic dialogue and offers free legal assistance and financial support to marginalised sections of society. It had helped students affected by the ban. The issue ultimately resulted in a split verdict by the Supreme Court.
The JIH described the directive as a positive step for religious freedom, educational rights, and inclusion. The group stated that the move removes obstacles for Muslim female students and helps uphold constitutional rights.
Karnataka’s Congress government’s directive, issued on Wednesday, greenlights “limited traditional and practice-based symbols” with school uniforms. That means hijabs are back in, along with sacred threads, rudraksha, shivadhara, and sharavastra.
APCR said the decision restores the dignity of all students who wish to follow their faith-based practices without compromising their education.
In separate statements on Thursday, APCR and JIH said the right to wear a hijab or any other religious symbol is based not only on the freedom of religion guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, but also on the right to freedom of expression and the bodily autonomy of individuals. “These are universal freedoms expressly recognised by the Constitution of India,” APCR said.
The BJP government’s ban inflicted real and lasting harm. Young girls were turned away from classrooms. Students and families were humiliated by angry mobs and forced to choose between education and faith. The damage to those students — academic, psychological, or social — cannot be undone by these revised guidelines, APCR said.
“There must be a concerted effort to make our classrooms more inclusive and respectful of diverse beliefs, traditions, and identities,” it said.
Uniform policies exist to foster a sense of collective identity and discipline within educational institutions. They were never intended, and must never be permitted, to function as instruments for creating an unwelcoming atmosphere for any student, regardless of their religion or identity.
“The Karnataka government’s revised guidelines underline that respect for different beliefs, whether expressed through a headscarf, a sacred thread, or a turban, does not disrupt learning but makes it more inclusive,” APCR added.
It noted with appreciation that the revised guidelines explicitly prohibit denying any student entry to classrooms or examinations for wearing permitted symbols, and that no student may be compelled to wear or remove such items. These safeguards are essential. “We call upon school and college authorities across Karnataka to implement these guidelines in letter and spirit, without harassment or discrimination,” it said.
Urging all political actors to resist the temptation to further communalise the issue, APCR said education must remain a space for learning, not a theatre for ideological conflict.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has maintained that wearing a hijab is a right guaranteed by the Indian Constitution, emphasising that denying entry to students based on attire restricts their education.
It has consistently demanded that educational institutions respect the diverse cultural and religious identities of students, aiming for an inclusive environment.
