Mumbai college restricts entry to students wearing burqas, sparks row

Mumbai: On Wednesday, several Class 12 students of NG Acharya and DK Marathe College of Arts, Science, and Commerce at Chembur were stopped by security guards from entering the college premises. The reason: they were wearing burkhas over their uniforms in breach of the college’s new uniform policy. After the incident, there was a protest by the students outside the college.

“We are willing to wear the uniform—all we are requesting is permission to change our burkhas in the girl’s common room,” said one of the protestors. Added another, “If we have a college identity card and are regular students, how can the security person stop us at the gate? After college reopened in June, we have been removing our burkhas after entering and then attending classes. But on Wednesday, the college administration did not allow us to enter the campus.”

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College officials, when contacted, said that the administration had mandated uniforms in junior college from the current academic year. “All parents and students were informed in a parents’ meeting on May 1 that students would compulsorily have to wear uniforms in junior college,” said principal Vidyagauri Lele. “Around 548 parents were present and they agreed to the rules and regulations decided by the college administration.”

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As per the rules circulated at the May 1 meeting, the college said a uniform would promote equality among students irrespective of their financial condition, caste, religion or social status. “The notice also said that the students must wear the uniform prescribed by the college and no badge, tie, sticker, dupatta, or burkha on it,” said Lele. “We regularly remind students about the new uniform policy of the college, and also informed them that beginning August 1, they would not be allowed on campus without proper uniforms. The security personnel were instructed accordingly.”

When asked about the students’ demand to be allowed to use the girls’ common room to change their burkha after entering the campus, Lele said, “In the initial discussion, this point was not raised by either the students or the parents. We are allowing them to do this only till August 8. As for the future, we will discuss it in our governing council meeting.”

Politicians also entered the fray. Late on Wednesday night, former minister and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Working President Arif Naseem Khan wrote a letter to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, saying the decision of the college had “created a lot of dissatisfaction among the people”.

The letter stated that on the one hand, the central government had adopted the policy of ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ for the country but on the other, an incident like this in the state seemed to indicate “a conspiracy to deprive minority girls of education”. Khan has demanded that the college, the principal, and the management of the college take immediate action and cancel the “illegal” decision.

Samir Akhtar, a member of the minority cell of the Congress, also objected to the decision and requested the college management to reconsider it. Another Congressman, Nikhil Kamble of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress (MPYC), said the decision was “very unfortunate” and could “create a rift between two communities”. The MPYC has said that if the college does not withdraw the rules in the next 24 hours, it will hold a protest against it.

A senior official from Govandi police station, however, said that the junior college students were not allowed in only because they were in breach of the rules. “The principal informed us that some degree college students also came in hijab but were allowed in, as there is no uniform for the higher classes,” he said. The police, who were patrolling the area, saw the crowd outside, and went there only to deflect a potential law-and-order situation.

(With input from Manish K Pathak)