The Army, however, said the word “hijab” (which covers the head) was mistakenly written in the circular instead of “niqab” (which covers the face, except for eyes). As the school is for special children, the niqab can be a hindrance in teaching, it said. Representative image A CIRCULAR by an Army-run school for special children in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, asking its teachers to “avoid hijab during school hours”, has triggered a controversy in the Valley with political leaders drawing parallels with the Karnataka hijab ban row.
The Army, however, said the word “hijab” (which covers the head) was mistakenly written in the circular instead of “niqab” (which covers the face, except for eyes). As the school is for special children, the niqab can be a hindrance in teaching, it said.
“Let me clarify this, it is not hijab but niqab,” Defence spokesman Emron Musavi told The Indian Express. “This is a school for specially abled children, who have hearing disability etc. They have to teach the phonetics using facial gestures. If a teacher is wearing niqab, how would she teach, what would the children see. That is why this order was passed. The circular is only for the teachers.”
The circular, issued on Monday by the principal of Dagger Parivaar School, said, “Parivaar School is a place to learn and grow emotionally and morally. As the staff of school, the main purpose is to provide for the fullest possible development of each learner. For the same, the trust must be established with the students and make them feel welcome, safe and happy.”
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“The staff is hereby instructed to avoid hijab during school hours so that students can feel comfortable and are forthcoming to interact with teachers and staff,” it said.
The circular led to strong reactions from the political leaders.
“I condemn this letter issuing diktats on hijab. J&K may be ruled by the BJP but it is certainly not like any other state where they bulldoze houses of minorities and not allow them the freedom to dress as they want. Our girls will not give up their right to choose,” tweeted PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.
National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah said J&K acceded to “India in which every religion is seen as equal”.
“This [circular] is wrong. In this country everyone has a freedom to follow his religion. The Constitution of our country records that we are a secular country. Secular country means every religion is equal,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of youth National Conference.
“Everyone has absolute freedom to decide what he or she wears. I don’t think any government has a right to interfere in this.”
On the controversies over loudspeakers and halaal meat, he said objections are being raised only against Muslims. “This is not only about hijab. We are being told that loudspeakers would not be allowed in mosques. Why not? If loudspeakers are being used at other places why not in mosques. What is wrong in having five times azan in a day,” Omar said. “You tell us not to eat halaal. Why? Our religion says we should only eat halaal meat. Why are you stopping us? We don’t force you to eat halaal. You eat the way you like, we will eat the way we like.”
“We don’t tell you not to use mics in the temples. Don’t they use mics in temples. Don’t they use mics in gurdwaras. They do. But you don’t like only our mic. You don’t like our religion. You don’t like our clothes. You don’t like our way of offering prayers. Rest you don’t have any objection to. Hate is being spread here,” he said.
He said J&K acceded to a secular India. “This is not the India J&K acceded to. We acceded to India where every religion is equal,” he said. “We were not told that one religion would be given importance and others would be suppressed. If that would have been told to us, perhaps our decision would have been something else.”
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