Students of a Srinagar school on Thursday alleged that they were disallowed to enter the school premises wearing an Abaya, a claim the school denies.
On Thursday morning, female students from the school Vishu Bharti (VB) school in Rainawari Srinagar staged a protest against the school administration stating that they were disallowed to enter the premises of the school. The school management told the students that they had received the orders from “higher ups.”
“We are being told that we must go to a Madrassa if we want to wear an Abaya (head cover). The school administration is telling us that we are ruining the atmosphere of the school,” the protesting students said.
The students said that they do not have issues with anyone coming in any dress, but they should not be stopped from following their choice of covering their heads. “Aap loug yahan ka mahoul kharab karte ho. Hijab pehnke kaand karte ho aur apne ghar walon ka naam kharab karte ho,” the principal allegedly told the female students. (You Hijab wearing girls have ruined the atmosphere of the school. You are scandalous and are ruining the name of your families.)
“Who are they to judge us because of what we wear. We are being discriminated in sports activities and other co-curricular activities. Male students keep smoking inside the college, nobody has an issue with that, but as soon as female students start following what they choose, people have issues,” a protesting student asked.
Meanwhile, a parent said that the male students smoke inside the school and engage in vulgarism inside the school premises.
The school principal upon being contacted by The Kashmiriyat said that Hijab was not barred in the school.
“Hijab is not an issue. We are merely asking them to remove the Abaya because many of them are coming with colourful Abaya (full body cover). The Hijab is not barred here. We only want to ensure every student follows the same dress code,” she said.