[Reader-list] Fwd: In Valley, gunmen take to moral policing: ‘enforce hijab in college’

[A.K. Malik]

Dear Mr Muraliji,
                  Pseudo-seculars's interpretation enforceable in our country-Majority community can't cry even when any atrocities are imposed but minority community gets sympathisers and protectionists even for small atrocities on them while atrocities by minorities are rarely talked about. Why can't we be Indians and see others as Indians only and not as Hindus, Muslims and Christians.It appears none of us is truely secular-our thinkings are based on our religious upbringings.
Why the news item could not be "A girl denied to wear hijab", is it not enough to convey. Even in the thread of postings you find words like "A muslim girl denied to wear hijab by Sangh Parivar" or something to that effect.The idea seems to create more terror in the minority community people that they are not safe.It is a simple case of a person in Authority enforcing rules on those controlled by him-he may be wrong,he may be right.This is exactly what needs to be discussed.Then there are normal remedial measures.
A girl not allowed to wear hijab or a girl of class-III paraded semi-naked in classrooms with voices of shame-shame for not paying fees.We are almost unconcerned on Part-2 but concerned too much on Part-I because the girl happened to be a Muslim????
With kind regards,
   
(A.K.MALIK)


--- On Sat, 8/29/09, Murali V <murali.chalam at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Murali V <murali.chalam at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fwd: In Valley, gunmen take to moral policing: ‘enforce hijab in college’
> To: "Rohan DSouza" <virtuallyme at gmail.com>
> Cc: reader-list at sarai.net
> Date: Saturday, August 29, 2009, 11:03 AM
> This what I am trying to communicate,
> that conveniently the
> pseudo-seculars ignore such actions of minority
> institutions and
> highlight the actions of the hindu outfits.
> 
> Regards,
> V Murali
> 
> On Sat, Aug 29, 2009 at 10:37 AM, Rohan DSouza<virtuallyme at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > Dear Murali,
> >
> > That too surely. The church (of different
> denominations), especially in the
> > context of religious institutions (as you refer to),
> is by no means tolerant
> > and part of the same fundamentalist continuum. I
> referred to the Mangalore
> > article as it is in the news now and has some
> similarity to the moral
> > policing incident in Kashmir.
> >
> > Rgds,
> > Rohan
> >
> > On Sat, Aug 29, 2009 at 9:26 AM, Murali V <murali.chalam at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> Dear Rohan,
> >>
> >> What about ban on wearing sindur by girls in
> christian schools and
> >> wearing of black shawl during the fasting period
> prior to sabarimala
> >> pilgrimage by some missionary christian schools.
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >> V Murali
> >>
> >> On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 4:34 PM, Rohan
> DSouza<virtuallyme at gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >> > Dear Murali,
> >> > Moral policing in the name of exclusive and
> regressive notions of
> >> > culture
> >> > seem to be one thing that binds
> fundamentalist groups of different
> >> > religious
> >> > persuasions across the country. Check out
> this article in Tehelka (
> >> > http://tehelka.com/story_main42.asp?filename=Ne290809i_asked.asp)
> >> > which talks about a burkha ban being enforced
> by the Sangh Parivar in
> >> > Mangalore. There have been a few newspaper
> articles and this article
> >> > which
> >> > talks about this issue.
> >> >
> >> > Attempts to control practices, lifestyles and
> the very lives of people
> >> > through such means seem to manifest
> themselves in such controlling
> >> > behaviour, be it a burkha enforcement in
> Kashmir or a burkha ban in
> >> > Mangalore. Both sides of the same coin?
> >> >
> >> > Regards,
> >> > Rohan
> >> >
> >> > The full article:
> >> >
> >> > *‘I Asked Them To Give Me A Saffron
> Shawl’*
> >> >
> >> > *The ABVP and Bajrang Dal are aggressively
> enforcing a burka ban in
> >> > colleges
> >> > in Karnataka’s Dakshin Kannada district,
> reports**SANJANA*
> >> > [image: image]*Scarf knot* The ban is forcing
> students in burkas to
> >> > worry
> >> > about their safety
> >> > *Photos:* S RADHAKRISHNA
> >> >
> >> > IN JUNE this year, President Nicolas Sarkozy
> denounced the burka, the
> >> > traditional women’s garment that Muslim
> women adopt to cover themselves
> >> > from
> >> > head to toe, calling it “a sign of
> subservience” which “would not be
> >> > welcome
> >> > in the French Republic.” Unmindful of
> protests from Muslims worldwide,
> >> > the
> >> > French National Assembly instituted a
> commission of inquiry the very
> >> > next
> >> > day to decide if women should be allowed to
> wear the burka publicly in
> >> > France.
> >> >
> >> > More than 8,000 kilometres away, across
> continents and countries, Muslim
> >> > women in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada
> district have already been handed
> >> > such
> >> > a diktat. Women wearing burkas — or even
> headscarves for that matter
> >> > —will
> >> > not be allowed into college classrooms and
> campuses in the region, state
> >> > the
> >> > Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a
> students’ organisation and
> >> > the
> >> > youth wing of the Bajrang Dal. Both the ABVP
> and the Bajrang Dal are
> >> > affiliated with the BJP, which is in power in
> the state. Though there is
> >> > no
> >> > legal backing for the ban, the decree has
> been enforced by government
> >> > and
> >> > government- aided colleges in the region.
> Since March 2009, the ban has
> >> > applied universally to students and lecturers
> and has been aggressively
> >> > enforced across colleges. Those daring to
> disobey have been suspended,
> >> > asked
> >> > to leave college and threatened with physical
> violence.
> >> >
> >> > Says Aysha Ashmin, an 18-year-old student
> from Bantwal in Dakshina
> >> > Kannada
> >> > district, “Initially, Muslim women were
> asked to remove their burkas
> >> > before
> >> > entering class rooms. A month later, this was
> extended slightly – no
> >> > burkas
> >> > in college campuses they said. So women
> hurriedly changed out of these
> >> > either at the gate or in the ladies room as
> soon as we entered colleges.
> >> > Now, they are asking us to remove our head
> scarves before entering
> >> > classrooms.” This is a stricture that Aysha
> experienced first hand.
> >> > Within
> >> > days of enrolling in the BCom course at the
> Sri Venkataramana Swamy
> >> > Degree
> >> > College in Bantwal, Aysha stopped wearing her
> burka in classrooms. Her
> >> > classmates insisted she do so, saying it
> would only single her out for
> >> > attention since Muslim students wearing the
> burka were rare on campus.
> >> > It
> >> > didn’t take much persuasion, as she wanted
> to fit in and make friends in
> >> > her
> >> > new college. In any case, she told herself,
> she had her headscarf on. A
> >> > few
> >> > weeks later, the newly elected president of
> the college student’s union
> >> > began targeting Aysha for wearing the
> headscarf. “The president and some
> >> > other union members would follow me
> everywhere and ridicule me for
> >> > wearing a
> >> > headscarf. They claimed my headscarf was
> unnecessarily escalating
> >> > tensions
> >> > within the college, that if I insisted on
> wearing it, they would be
> >> > forced
> >> > to wear saffron shawls. When the jibes turned
> into physical attacks, I
> >> > asked
> >> > them to hand me the saffron shawl – I would
> wear that and my scarf,”
> >> > said
> >> > Aysha.
> >> > Students who refused to wear the headscarves
> were asked to leave the
> >> > class
> >> >
> >> > Days later, Aysha was summoned by the
> principal and asked to stop
> >> > wearing
> >> > the headscarf. With Aysha was Azramma, the
> only other Muslim student who
> >> > wore one on campus. When both students
> refused to remove their scarves
> >> > citing religious beliefs and personal
> discomfort within the slightly
> >> > hostile
> >> > coeducational environment, they were asked to
> return the next day with
> >> > their
> >> > parents. In the meeting on August 7, the
> girls and their parents were
> >> > bluntly told that if they refused to comply
> with the ban, they would be
> >> > suspended and subsequently removed from
> college. While Azramma
> >> > acquiesced,
> >> > Aysha did not relent. Her father, Mahmood P
> was shocked at the rude
> >> > behaviour of the lecturers who asked his
> daughter to either chose
> >> > religion
> >> > or education, arguing that here was no space
> for both on campus. “My
> >> > daughter was told that nobody would look at
> her even if she removed her
> >> > scarf since there were far more beautiful
> girls on campus! And this was
> >> > the
> >> > least vulgar thing they said. Along with the
> principal, there were
> >> > senior
> >> > lecturers and heads of departments present at
> the meeting. Even though I
> >> > asked them to give me the reason for
> suspension in writing, they turned
> >> > us
> >> > away,” says an exasperated Mahmood.
> Aysha’s suspension has meant a loss
> >> > of
> >> > the Rs 7,000 her family has paid as annual
> fees. Besides, if her appeals
> >> > to
> >> > Mangalore University’s Vice- Chancellor
> fail, she is likely to lose an
> >> > academic year. “Admissions have closed
> everywhere but I will continue to
> >> > fight. Education is my right, just as
> practising my faith is,” says a
> >> > determined Aysha.
> >> > ‘THE PRESIDENT AND UNION MEMBERS WOULD
> FOLLOW ME AND RIDICULE ME FOR
> >> > WEARING
> >> > A HEADSCARF’
> >> > *AYSHA ASHMIN, **Student*
> >> >
> >> > There are several others who do not share
> Aysha’s ample courage. A
> >> > lecturer
> >> > at the same college, Mumtaz, chose to leave
> after having worked for 15
> >> > days.
> >> > Afraid even to reveal her last name, Mumtaz
> was accosted by a fellow
> >> > lecturer for wearing the headscarf. “He
> asked me, ‘If we insist on
> >> > following
> >> > our religious practices within educational
> institutions, what would
> >> > happen
> >> > if Digambar Jains decided to do the same and
> turn up naked?’ We were
> >> > apparently guilty of violating the social
> order,” says Mumtaz. A
> >> > resignation
> >> > letter she wrote spelling out these reasons
> was refused by the college
> >> > management.
> >> >
> >> > When TEHELKA contacted Seetaram Mayya, the
> college principal, all he
> >> > would
> >> > admit to was pressure from various Hindutva
> organisations to enforce the
> >> > ban
> >> > against headscarves. Though there were no
> names of organizations or
> >> > people
> >> > forthcoming, Mayya admitted to the presence
> of members from these
> >> > organisations within the college as well.
> >> > [image: image]
> >> >
> >> > THE SITUATION in the Bantwal College
> resonates right across the
> >> > district. On
> >> > August 17, in Uppinangady, 55 kilometres from
> Mangalore, all 82 Muslim
> >> > women
> >> > enrolled into the Government Degree College
> there were upbraided for
> >> > wearing
> >> > headscarves. Days after Sujith KS, an ABVP
> member won the college
> >> > student
> >> > union elections, the Muslim women were
> summoned by Principal Vasanta
> >> > Kumari
> >> > and asked to stop wearing headscarves within
> classrooms. Ten students
> >> > who
> >> > steadfastly refused to do so were asked to
> leave the classrooms
> >> > immediately.
> >> > Two final year students — both boys — who
> intervened and defended the
> >> > women’s religious rights to wear
> headscarves were suspended by the
> >> > college
> >> > principal. In the evening, when parents
> accompanied by a lawyer went to
> >> > the
> >> > principal’s house to discuss the matter,
> they were turned away. Mohammed
> >> > Rafique, a local resident and activist with
> the People’s Front of India
> >> > (a
> >> > Muslim organization active in the area) told
> TEHELKA, “The principal
> >> > turned
> >> > us away, saying there was nothing she could
> do. We tried to tell her
> >> > that
> >> > Muslim women had attended the college wearing
> burkas for 25 years. It
> >> > was of
> >> > no use.”
> >> > Mumtaz was accosted by a fellow lecturer for
> wearing the headscarf. She
> >> > left
> >> > after 15 days
> >> >
> >> > The following day, the situation in the
> college grew worse. Following an
> >> > expression of fear by the college principal,
> police *bandobast* was
> >> > arranged. The ten students continued to be
> locked out of their classes
> >> > and
> >> > the rest were made to remove their
> headscarves. Despite repeated
> >> > attempts by
> >> > TEHELKA, the college management refused to
> discuss the legality of their
> >> > headscarf ban. A college official who refused
> to identify himself
> >> > boasted,
> >> > “It is an internal matter. We will handle
> it ourselves. We don’t have to
> >> > explain anything to anybody.”
> >> >
> >> > INTERESTINGLY, THE ban on Muslim students
> wearing burkas and head
> >> > scarves
> >> > has spread to Christian missionary colleges
> as well. Students of St.
> >> > Agnes
> >> > College, St. Anne’s College and St.
> Aloysius College in Mangalore speak
> >> > quietly of the authorities asking them to
> stop wearing burkas and
> >> > headscarves. Confirming this as official
> policy, Dr. (Sr.) Prem D’Souza
> >> > told
> >> > TEHELKA that while they respect all religions
> and faiths, they couldn’t
> >> > accept headscarves as an expression of faith
> or as a religious choice
> >> > for
> >> > Muslim women. “We don’t allow this since
> there is no uniformity – some
> >> > women
> >> > wear the headscarf while others don’t.
> Ultimately, we want to ensure
> >> > that
> >> > they do not face any discrimination. Wearing
> the scarf will single them
> >> > out,” explained Dr. D’Souza. When queried
> why nuns could continue to
> >> > wear
> >> > habits and wimples and not fall foul of the
> headscarf ban, she said
> >> > merely
> >> > that they belonged to a different category.
> >> > ‘WHY SHOULD MUSLIMS BE ALLOWED TO EXPRESS
> THEIR IDENTITY?’
> >> > *SHAILESH SHETTY,*
> >> > *ABVP representative*
> >> >
> >> > Since March 2009, there have been six
> incidents of colleges in Dakshin
> >> > Kannada district banning headscarves and
> burkas – a number dismissed as
> >> > insignificant by several people including
> ABVP student representative
> >> > Shailesh Shetty. Shetty, the outgoing
> president of the student union at
> >> > University College, Mangalore, claimed that
> in the next month every
> >> > single
> >> > college in the district would follow the same
> rule. “This is a programme
> >> > that we have taken seriously. Any union that
> has AVBP representation
> >> > will
> >> > make sure that it will be an issue for the
> college authorities to
> >> > address.
> >> > Why should Muslims be allowed to express
> their identity? They should
> >> > remember which country they are living in,”
> said Shetty, deadpan. If
> >> > Shetty’s claims are anywhere close to the
> truth, the road ahead promises
> >> > to
> >> > be hard for Muslim women in the district’s
> colleges. The alternative —
> >> > one
> >> > that comes with the promise of further
> marginalisation — is to shift to
> >> > colleges that are either run by Muslim
> educational trusts or ones that
> >> > specialise in Islamic studies. Both spell
> disaster, says Hasnath Mansur,
> >> > the
> >> > former member of the Karnataka State
> Minorities Commission and principal
> >> > of
> >> > Abbas Khan college for women. “Why should
> women sacrifice education for
> >> > what
> >> > is a minor point? As long as they keep their
> heads covered — even with*
> >> > dupattas* — they will comply with religious
> and cultural customs.”
> >> >
> >> > Eclipsed in the ongoing theatre of coercion
> is the debate raised in
> >> > France’s
> >> > parliament houses and in seminars organised
> by women’s rights
> >> > organisations
> >> > everywhere. Is a burka or a head scarf a
> symbol of oppression for Muslim
> >> > women? Does freedom of choice really exist?
> Mansur minces no words: “The
> >> > current move by the Hindutva forces clearly
> takes us outside the ambit
> >> > of
> >> > that discussion. This perverse move is aimed
> at denying women education
> >> > and
> >> > stigmatising an entire community. Why is the
> government not withdrawing
> >> > aid
> >> > and recognition from institutions that are
> fostering hatred and
> >> > divisiveness?”
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:15:24 +0530
> >> >> From: Murali V <murali.chalam at gmail.com>
> >> >> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fwd: In
> Valley, gunmen take to moral
> >> >>        policing: ‘enforce hijab in
> college’
> >> >> To: anupam chakravartty <c.anupam at gmail.com>
> >> >> Cc: sarai list <reader-list at sarai.net>
> >> >> Message-ID:
> >> >>        <4eab87870908280145u4b2e8eb2j8f455a457a949792 at mail.gmail.com>
> >> >> Content-Type: text/plain;
> charset=windows-1252
> >> >>
> >> >> You can atleast refer to any online
> references to such dress codes
> >> >> imposings.
> >> >>
> >> >> Regards,
> >> >> V Murali
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> > _________________________________________
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> >
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