Karnataka

Tension in Bhatkal over uniform issue

Karwar: Tension prevailed in Bhatkal on Friday over the issue of making uniform compulsory for students of the Government Degree College in the town.

A group of students from the Hindu community, which opposed wearing of burkha by some girls, went to the college campus wearing saffron shawls and dhotis.

The controversy erupted last week when some students opposed girls wearing burkha on the college campus and in the classrooms.

The principal of the college convened a meeting of the college betterment committee a few days ago and discussed the issue. J.D. Naik, MLA, who attended the meeting, asked the principal to write to the Commissioner of Collegiate Education and take his opinion. The issue remained unresolved.

Students’ organisations had given an ultimatum to the principal and the college betterment committee that if girls from the minority community were not stopped from wearing “burkha” by Thursday, they would wear clothes that symbolised Hinduism from Friday.

On Friday, many Hindu students came to the college wearing saffron shawls and dhotis and sporting tilak on their forehead.

Addressing presspersons, principal of the college I.R. Khan expressed his helplessness over the issue and said that he had no power to stop students from wearing their religious attire. He said unless a dress code was made compulsory in the college, he could not ask anybody to attend classes wearing such dresses. Many students expressed apprehension that the issue may snowball into a major controversy, thereby threatening peace in Bhatkal.

The principal said there was no provision to make uniform compulsory in the degree college. The college committee should take a decision on the issue at the earliest.

Security has been tightened on the college campus.

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