All of the students were allowed, including the girls in hijabs, despite a ruling from the state\u2019s High Court
\n Bengaluru
\nSenior schools reopened in the Indian state of Karnataka on Wednesday a week after authorities closed them in the face of protests against a ban on female students wearing the hijab Muslim head covering.
\nA court is deliberating the recent ban on school girls wearing the hijab imposed by Karnataka authorities, the latest issue of contention involving India\u2019s Muslim minority, who make up about 13% of the Hindu-majority country\u2019s 1.35 billion people. Students wearing olive-green uniforms, some in the hijab, walked hand-in-hand on Wednesday into the Government Girls Senior School P.U. in Udupi district, where the protests started this month. Male and female police stood guard.
\nAll of the students were allowed, including the girls in hijabs, despite a ruling from the state\u2019s High Court last week that schools should bar any religious clothing in classrooms until further instructions.
\nThe court will hear further arguments on Wednesday. Senior district official Kurma Rao M said talks were underway in the community on the court ruling.
\n\u201cWe have held a meeting with all religious leaders, various stakeholders on the implementation of the court\u2019s interim order,\u201d he was quoted as saying by Reuters partner ANI.
\nThe southern state of Karnataka is governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and the uproar comes as it campaigns for several important state assembly elections this year.
\nKarnataka\u2019s state election will be held next year while India is due to hold its next general election by May 2024.
\nMuslim families in Karnataka say the ban on the hijab marginalises them and led to some schools refusing entry to girls and women wearing it.
\nSome Muslim students and parents protested against the ban drawing counter protests from Hindu students who hung saffron-coloured shawls around their necks. The colour is generally worn by Hindus.
\n\u201cThis is so unfair,\u201d student Afra Ajmal Asabi told reporters, referring to the ban.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve always been attending classes wearing the hijab.\u201d
\nJunior and middle schools reopened on Monday after authorities closed them too last week because of the protests.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
All of the students were allowed, including the girls in hijabs, despite a ruling from the state\u2019s High Court Bengaluru Senior schools reopened in the Indian state of Karnataka on Wednesday a week after authorities closed them in the face of protests against a ban on female students wearing the hijab Muslim head covering. A […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-244873","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n