College In India Illegally Bans Hijab Under Hindu Student Pressure

In India, conflict between a Hindu student group and Muslim students has surfaced at SVS College in the Indian state of Karnataka. UAE's The National reported yesterday that officials at the private, state-assisted, college imposed an illegal ban on Muslim students wearing the hijab (headscarf) under pressure from the student branch of the right-wing Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Ever since the ABVP won college elections that gave it control of the student union, it has created unrest as it has pressed for a ban on the hijab and burqa. Because of the ban, 18-year old Aysha Asmin has stopped attending classes. Mangalore University, with which SVS is affiliated, has assured Asmin that it will help her find a different college where she can continue her studies. Meanwhile a district official has urged penalizing SVS for imposing the "unconstitutional" hijab ban.