Hijab row: IIM Bangalore faculty, Azim Premji varsity students voice concerns over ‘atmosphere of intimidation’

Urging other student communities to also “peacefully speak up,” the students of Azim Premji University expressed hope that their voice and collectiveness, expressed through the statement, will matter in these “gloomy and unprecedented times”. The IIM Bangalore faculty, meanwhile, called upon the NCW to act urgently.

In their petition, addressed to NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharm, the IIM Bangalore faculty members, Hema Swaminathan, Ritwik Banerjee, Deepak Malghan, Dalhia Mani and Prateek Raj, stressed that while they do not condone patriarchal restrictions across religions, “to single out one religious practice is not acceptable”.

“Women across all religions face patriarchal restrictions of one kind or the other. Certainly, we cannot condone such practices and we must work with men, women, and religious leaders to bring about change. But to single out one religious practice is not acceptable… As you must be aware, evidence globally and from India shows that education is the most effective tool for women’s empowerment and broader social development. The atmosphere of fear and intimidation will make parents hesitate to send daughters to schools and colleges. ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ will be an abject failure, not just for Muslim girls, but for girls across all communities,” the petition stated.

When contacted, Swaminathan, who is a Professor at the Centre for Public Policy, told The Indian Express that they chose to write to the NCW as it is meant to safeguard the rights of women. “Women, in general, are subject to restrictions and they should not be pushed back further. Also, we need to reclaim plurality,” Swaminathan, whose work interests include analysing inequality using a gender perspective, said.

The statement issued by the students of Azim Premji University, which has its campus in Bengaluru, said they stand against any kind of discrimination that denies a citizen their basic rights, such as education based on identities. It also asked Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to take strict action against the harassment of students by mobs.

“Such incidents have the potential to create institutionalised discrimination based on gender, religion and caste… We should also remember that it is our Constitutional duty as citizens to promote harmony and respect our composite culture. As students of a progressive country and the world’s largest democracy, we believe no institution should impose its belief on what one should wear, eat or say! Therefore as youths of a young country that is home to the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi, APJ Abdul Kalam, Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Rakumari Amrit Kaur and Savitribai Phule, it is our responsibility to voice our concerns and protect the idea of a secular and democratic India,” the statement said.