Call meeting of religious leaders to break the ice over hijab row: HDK to Govt.

He urges Government to show large-heartedness in bringing Muslim girls to colleges in tune with State’s image of ‘Sarva janangada shantiya thota’

Appealing to the Government to show large-heartedness by taking initiatives to resolve the hijab row, following which a section of Muslim girl students are staying away from colleges, Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday suggested that a meeting of religious leaders from different communities be convened to break the ice.

“The Government should act with a mother’s heart and think of allowing hijabs that match the prescribed uniforms on the lines of Kendriya Vidyalayas,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said, while initiating a debate in the Assembly on the issue.

Acknowledging that the Karnataka High Court has already given its final verdict on the row over hijab and that it is the responsibility of all sections of society to abide by the court order, Mr. Kumaraswamy expressed concern that several Muslim girls had stayed away from colleges as they were not ready to attend classes without hijabs.

“Ïf you now take measures to bring back Muslim girls into college and ensure that they get good education, a time may come when education would give them the courage to stay away from practices such as hijab,” he observed. He further asked, “How long you can push a person? Once pushed to a wall, he will pounce back against you. Such a thing should not happen.”

Expressing concern over the sharp communal divide in several places of northern India, he said Karnataka in particular and southern region in general were known for co-existence.

He sought to remind the Government that Karnataka’s communal harmony had been hailed by poet-laureate Kuvempu by describing the State as “Sarva janaangada shaantiya thota (A peaceful garden of all communities)“ in his poem that has now been adopted as the State anthem. He appealed to the Government to take appropriate steps to strengthen communal harmony. He also urged the Government to take action against those “remote-controlling” Muslim students in the hijab row.

When the BJP members sought to draw his attention to The Kashmir Files film and cited it as an example of communal hatred in society, Mr. Kumaraswamy alleged that the film was a piece of fiction.