Four years after six hijab-donning students were stopped from entering their classroom in an Udupi pre-university—an event which quickly snowballed into the government banning hijab across educational institutions of Karnataka—hijabi students can once again enter their classes without any restriction.
The announcement came on 13 May, Wednesday, as the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the state withdrew the 2022 order, brought in by the then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government.
"Permissible traditional and faith-based symbols may include items commonly worn by students such as turban, janeu, shivadhara, rudraksha, hijab or similar forms. However, such items shall not affect discipline, safety or identification of students," the new order states.
In 2022, Karnataka saw widespread protests by hijabi students, demanding that their right to education not be throttled because of their hijab. Hijabi students, as well as teachers, faced harassment due to their hijab, including sometimes by their fellow classmates.
The Quint made a documentary centering the hijabi students at the peak of the protests.
“I can’t believe this. We waited so long for this moment,” said Shaheen, a 21 year-old from Shimoga. “Hijab is a part of my identity, and being able to finally study without making a compromise is a huge deal,” she added. Shimoga had witnessed violence during the protests.
The long wait, however, has not come without a cost. Although the Congress came to power in 2023, they did not immediately revoke the hijab ban. Many students have had to suffer consequences of that.
The Delay and Continued Harassment
Hiba Sheikh had gone viral for speaking up against a group of men from her college who stopped her from entering the university in Mangalore. She had filed an FIR against them, and in retaliation, she had faced an FIR from them as well.
At the time, she had told The Quint that she felt compelled to challenge the group of men. After her university did not allow her to enter the classroom, she had no choice but to abandon the BSc degree, after two years of pursuing it.
“I was heartbroken but I had to leave,” she said. Hiba moved to Kochi, Kerala, and began pursuing a Bachelors in Law. “I had to leave my hometown, start a new life afresh. I wasted a lot of time because of this,” Hiba said, a day after the new order.
At the time, Hiba had wished to sit for the UPSC exams and become an IPS officer. Despite everything that has gone down, she still holds that dream close. “I can’t wait to finally graduate and sit for the civil services exams.”
Another student, Fathima Kulsum from Bengaluru, said that the hijab ban has enabled an atmosphere of “rampant Islamophobia” within many classrooms. She mentioned that in her college, hijabi students are routinely accused of “cheating” during exams.
For the last few years, some people from the administration show up during every exam and ask hijabi students to take off their hijab and if we say no, they say we are carrying chits in our hijab.Kulsum, Journalism and Psychology Student
She recalled an incident where she loosened her hijab and asked the invigilator to investigate if there are any chits inside or not. “But she wasn’t happy with that. She pulled my hijab till it came off,” Fathima said.
She also said that many students have to give in to the diktats of the government. “I see them panic and take off their hijab, and it makes me so sad. I hope the order is immediately brought into effect so that all of us can take our exams without fear,” she added.
Many Protestors Still Face Cases
Moreover, many protesting students as well as activists were charged by the Karnataka police at the time. They demand that those cases be quashed.
Jasmine Banu, an activist from Davangere who had led several protests during the hijab ban, is one such individual. She and 37 others were named in a police FIR after a protest in February 2022.
“I welcome the relief to hijabi students but the Congress government should have long quashed these cases against those who protested. Instead, we have to go to the district court every month for four years now to show our face. Does the government not care about our rights?” she questioned.
Davangere South also saw a close by-election battle after the Congress candidate won by just a whisker, as the vote got split significantly by the SDPI candidate. Banu believes this is an attempt by Congress to “get back in the good books of Muslims” after that close call. Tanveer Ahmed, another activist, pointed out that the Congress hasn’t fulfilled many other promises.
“The Congress had said it would repeal the anti-cow slaughter law ahead of the 2023 polls but hasn’t done that yet. It also hasn’t restored the 4 percent reservation under category 2B for Muslims, which was removed under the BJP. If it truly cared about Muslim empowerment, it would take these tangible steps,” Ahmed said.
In 2023, months after winning the Karnataka elections, CM Siddaramaiah had said that the hijab ban would be revoked. “Wear whatever dress you want, eat whatever you want, why should I care,” he had posted on X.
However, soon after, he clarified that the government is still discussing it, and no decision has been finalised.
Two and a half years from that day, the Siddaramaiah government finally withdrew the hijab ban. Almost immediately after, the opposition BJP began accusing the government of appeasing Muslims.
In response, Siddaramaiah released a statement in which he questioned: “If allowing the hijab is considered appeasement of Muslims, then is allowing the wearing of the sacred thread or turban also appeasement of those respective religions?”
He also clarified that saffron shawls, which had become a common sight during the protests against the hijab, would not be allowed in educational institutes.
(Fatima Khan is a New York-based journalist currently pursuing a Master’s in Political Journalism at Columbia Journalism School. With over six years of experience as a roving reporter in India, She has covered national politics, hate crimes, gender, and social justice with a sharp investigative lens.)