Team Clarion
AHMEDABAD – A Muslim student sporting a beard was barred from taking the Gujarat Nursing Council (GNC) examination at the LG Hospital here recently. A viral video shows examiner Sarayu Raj Purohith disallowing Hafiz Abu Bakr from taking the exam citing his beard. The video also shows the examiner instructing Abu Bakr to shave his beard before commencing the examination.
Abu Bakr said he was stopped outside the examination hall and asked to shave off his beard before appearing for the exam. The examiner is heard saying, “If a student maintains a beard, I believe we should conduct a physical examination or ask them a question.”
“There are no rules as such to ask someone to shave their beard in a classroom; it is only permitted to ask if you are in a position to offer a job or in a job interview,” the individual who was filming the video stated.
Abu Bakr alleged that when the examiner asked if he had completed the Hajj pilgrimage, he responded that he had performed Umrah (minor pilgrimage) in March.
“She felt that I was lying, so she told me to appear to be professional and trim my beard to zero, or better shave it off completely,” he said.
In her defence, the examiner claims that there was no discrimination based on religion.
The individual who was filming the video says, “Just because you conduct an exam for all doesn’t mean you can do this (ask him to shave his beard) to him. It is your wish; it’s not a rule of the constitution.”
Shazad Khan Patan, Leader of Opposition in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, stated, “I learned about the incident from the media. A Muslim student’s exam had been denied because he had a beard. In this nation, fanaticism has reached such a high level that students have to deal with it. It’s a pretty embarrassing situation.”
He said, “I think Gujarat has become a major hub for fanaticism in India. Both the religious and RSS mindsets have permeated college education. Given that the Constitution permits it, there is no issue if someone shows up to class wearing a tilak, the hijab, and a beard. According to what I’ve heard, several girls were asked to take their headscarves off before they could take the examination.”
He went on to say, “I think it’s okay to follow a religion or a culture; the Constitution grants that right, and our nation is secular, so it’s also acceptable and it is disgraceful to attack particular communities.”
