Uniform circular puts minority-run schools in tight spot

Kumaran P | NT

Several parents and stakeholders of minority-run schools were taken aback after a “surprising” circular was issued by the Minority Welfare Department. Some of them even questioned the secretary of the department as to how he could issue a circular when the matter was still pending in the judicial court. P Manivanna, secretary of the department, clarified about the circular saying that he and his department are part and parcel of the government and he is bound to abide by the government’s interpretation of the orders received from the honourable High Court of Karnataka.

In the circular, the Karnataka government has restrained students of all schools and colleges under the state Minority Welfare Department from wearing or carrying a hijab, scarf, saffron shawls or religious flags to classrooms, saying it was abiding by the High Court’s interim order on the hijab issue.

Minority Welfare, Hajj and Wakf Department Secretary P Manivannan said in a circular issued on Wednesday that the High Court has in its interim order restrained students from wearing saffron shawls, scarves, hijab and religious flags in the classroom until further orders.

“The High Court order is applicable to residential schools, colleges and Maulana Azad Model English Medium schools coming under the Minority Welfare Department,” he stated in the circular. “Against this background, wearing a saffron shawl, scarves, hijab or any other religious material is prohibited in schools and colleges and Maulana Azad Model English Medium schools, which come under the department.”

Arif Khan, a resident of Arekere and a parent said, “The interim order clearly states that it applies only to pre-university colleges where there is a college development committee and that the CDC has prescribed a uniform. Also, the advocate general clarified in court about the government order and said nothing about the hijab, which they have left to the CDC.”

“The secretary has issued a common circular to all 300+ minority institutions based on the interim order when the order only applies to colleges where the CDC has prescribed a uniform. Now, due to this circular, all 300+ minority institutions will stop students from attending school with a hijab. Why did the secretary issue this common circular and create confusion when you could have just found out which of the 21 minority PU colleges has a CDC and communicated to them directly,” he questioned.

News Trail took all of these concerns to the secretary for him to clarify about the proceedings. P Manivannan told NT, “The interpretation of the order of the High Court of Karnataka is not personal or of the Minority department. It is of the government and we are all part and parcel of the government. The government’s interpretation is wherever the school has a CDC department and has already prescribed uniforms.”

“In our department, we have prescribed uniforms since 2017. So, if anyone is wearing a uniform in a particular school, the Hon High Court order is applicable and hence, our 300 + schools come under it. We cannot keep on calling everyone and telling them that it was an internal circular and we have not made it public. Someone has made this circular public,” he added.

He said that he is bound to implement the court’s order as it is his constitutional duty to do so. “If anyone is not happy with the circular, they can approach the court and challenge the government by praying the court as we are also only obeying the court’s order.”

Manivannan also said, “We have only 300-odd schools in the state and that is not even one per cent in the number of overall schools that we have. We do not have any problem in our schools after the circulars are issued. We have received photographs from across Karnataka in our schools and everyone has implemented it. We have been following the uniform rule and will continue to do so unless there are any changes. We will wait for the Hon court to decide on the matter and then take necessary steps based on it.”

He added that there are around 21 pre-university colleges, 200-day schools and 100 essential schools under the department and they provide uniforms to all students. Therefore, there is no necessity for a CDC to prescribe uniforms in schools or colleges.

NT also accessed a few circulars and orders of the department regarding the uniform distribution and order. According to these documents, the department spends close to Rs 9 crore to provide uniforms to all children in institutions that come under the Minority department.