Row over K'taka college asking Kashmir students to shave beards

NT Correspondent

Hassan

As many as 14 Kashmiri students studying in a nursing college in Hassan district alleged that they were being harassed by authorities at the educational institution. The students claimed that the teachers at the college had demanded that they shaved off their beard or reduce them to a “number one” setting on a trimmer and had been marking them absent during clinical activity classes. They study at the Government Nursing College in Holenarasipura town in Hassan district under the Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS). The students penned a handwritten letter to the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), requesting intervention in the issue. The JKSA then fired off a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, arguing that the fundamental rights of the students and requested that he intervene.

“It is essential that students from all backgrounds feel welcome and valued in our educational institutions, and that their rights and freedoms are safeguarded at all times.We urge you to prioritize the protection of fundamental rights and take swift and decisive action to address this matter. Your intervention is crucial in upholding the principles of justice, equality, and inclusivity in our society,” JKSA wrote to the CM. 

“Education should be a safe space, free from any discrimination. We demand immediate action to stop the enforcement of discriminatory policies against Kashmiri students at Govt College of Nursing, Holenarasipur,” JKSA national convenor Nasir Khuehami posted on the social media site X (previously Twitter). “We urge the Karnataka government to take swift action against the discriminatory treatment faced by Kashmiri students for their choice to keep beards,” he added.