Delhi: SDMC says no student should come to school in religious attire

Amid the ongoing hijab controversy in Karnataka, SDMC has issued an order asking its education department officials to ensure that no student comes to its schools in "religious attire".

Amid the ongoing hijab controversy in Karnataka, the Education Committee of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has issued an order asking its education department officials to ensure that no student comes to its schools in "religious attire".

In a phone conversation with ANI, SDMC's Education Committee Chairperson Nitika Sharma said, "An incident had come to the fore from an East Delhi school where a girl had gone to the school wearing a hijab. Keeping that in mind, we have issued the order of following the dress code in school. All primary schools come under MCD. We cannot allow children to dress on the basis of religion."

"Schools are being divided on the basis of religion. According to me, students should look similar in their dressing style otherwise a sense of inequality will rise among them. We have primary schools which is the foundation period of a student. We respect all religions and all the students are equal to us," she added.

Sharma has written the letter to the Director, Education (SDMC). The SDMC runs primary schools up to Class 5.

In the letter to the Director, Sharma wrote, "It has been observed that some parents are sending their children to school in religious attire which is not right. This may develop the mentality of inequality among students, which is not good at all for their future. Keeping in view all these factors, all zonal officials should be directed to ensure that students can wear dress other than their uniforms only during school competitions and festivals."

Meanwhile, speaking on the incident of a school refusing entry to a girl in hijab, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, "Girls of every religion and every caste study in Delhi schools. There is no restriction and every tradition is respected, so far no one has any problem. We value each and every child."

The hijab protests in Karnataka began in January this year when some students of Government Girls PU college in the Udupi district of the state alleged that they had been barred from attending classes. During the protests, some students claimed they were denied entry into the college for wearing hijab.

Following this incident, students of different colleges arrived at Shanteshwar Education Trust in Vijayapura wearing saffron stoles. The situation was the same in several colleges in the Udupi district. The Karnataka pre-University education board had released a circular stating that students can wear only the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious practices will be allowed in colleges.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has announced that all schools will function completely in offline mode from April 1.