Principal Vishwa Bharti says no Hijab restrictions

Srinagar, June 08: Authorities in Vishwa Bharti Girls Higher Secondary School on Thursday clarified that no ban has been imposed by the school principal or the management on wearing Hijab but it was politely conveyed to the students to wear school uniform underneath the Abaya.
“It is for the information of all students that they can wear the Abaya and no such restrictions have been imposed in the classrooms.”
Earlier, a group of girl students from Vishwa Bharti (VB) Girls Higher Secondary School in Rainawari held a protest on Thursday, claiming they were not allowed to enter the school for wearing the Hijab.
The girl students alleged that they were told to go to a “Madrasa” if they wanted to wear the Hijab. However, the school authorities said that they were not against the Hijab but wanted the students to follow the dress code.
The protesting girl students said that the school authorities strictly directed them not to wear the Hijab and even told them to come to school without their Abaya. “We were told to remove the Abaya,” the protesting students said. “For a very long time, we were wearing the Abaya, and nobody has ever asked us not to wear it.
The Principal of Vishu Bharti (VB) School stated that Abayas were allowed post-COVID. She mentioned that a fewer number of girls were coming to school wearing Abhaya for some time. However, recently, girls from lower classes started coming to school with Abaya, not following the school’s uniform dress code.
The Principal stated that they directed these girls to remove the Abaya for the day, but the girls expressed their discomfort. She mentioned that on the request of the girl students, no admission to outsiders was given to this school, and these students were directed to wear the Hijab.
Recently, they started co-education, and one fails to understand what is wrong with wearing the Abaya,” the students added. They also mentioned that the female head teacher of the school told the girl students that she has no issue with the comfort zone of the students, protesting students said.
Meanwhile, Principal Vishwa Bharti Higher Secondary School has issued a statement regarding dress code policy which reads as, “That it has been running on the social media that female students have been directed not to wear Abaya (Long Robe) which is totally baseless and misrepresented. The School Management always respects the sentiments of all the sections of the society visa vis the dress code.”
“It is clarified that no ban has been imposed by the School Principal or the Mangement on wearing Abaya but it was politely conveyed to the students to wear School Uniform underneath the Abaya. It is for the information of all students that they can wear the Abaya and no such restrictions have been imposed in the classrooms”, she said.
BJP General Secretary Ashok Koul commented on the issue, saying that there should be no interference in what people choose to wear. He stated this during a program at the Amar Sing Club. He mentioned that this is a religious matter, and they neither oppose nor support such activities. As long as there is no force involved, everyone is independent, and it is their choice what they want to wear.
Principal Secretary of the School Education Department, Alok Kumar, stated that she spoke to the concerned principal and found that there was no order disallowing the Abhaya in the school.