Tabassum shared that she would follow the orders issued by the government. She would wear her hijab to her college campus and remove it before attending classes. She added that on the day she emerged as a topper, she donned her hijab and met her Principal and no one objected to her decision.
Staff Reporter
Tabassum Shaik the girl who was forced to remove her Hijab in college has proved that the Hijab covers the head not the brain.
As the karnataka PUC Results 2023 were released Tabassum Shaik topped in XII exam with 593 points out of 600 and placed first in the Arts Stream. Out of this, she scored a perfect 100 in Hindi, Psychology and Sociology.
Speaking to the media about her academic achievements, Tabassum Shaik said that she preferred to choose “education over hijab in college.”
Tabassum Shaik is a student of Nagarathnamma Meda Kasturiranga Setty Rashtreeya Vidyalaya, NMKRV in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Last year the Karnataka high court upheld a government order banning religious attire such as hijab or burqa in educational institutions and asked students to follow the dress code of educational institutions. Many Muslim students had taken to the streets to protest against the decision, with many wearing hijab and skull caps to classes while many even boycotting appearing for exams after being urged to adhere to the court ruling. Tabassum Shaik, however, decided to prioritise education over the politicisation of the issue and the ensuing state-wide protests and unrest.
“I decided to give up the hijab (in college) and pursue my education. We will need to make some sacrifices for education,” Shaikh told The Indian Express.
Tabassum said that she attended all of her classes in a hijab every day up until the court order was issued. Her desire to further her studies and the lessons about respecting the law she learned from her parents led her to decide to stop wearing the hijab.
According to reports, Tabassum’s parents wholeheartedly supported her decision and her pursuit towards her education. Her father Abdul Khaum Shaik told his daughter it is important to “follow the law of the land. Education is more important for the children”.
Tabassum shared that she would follow the orders issued by the government. She would wear her hijab to her college campus and remove it before attending classes. She added that on the day she emerged as a topper, she donned her hijab and met her Principal and no one objected to her decision.
“This girl has proved that the Hijab covers the head not the brain. I am not a votary of the Hijab but I feel that the choice of head gear should be left to the choice of the students, just like it is for Sikhs. The colour can be in conformity with the colour of school uniform” says Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah (Veteran) and former vice chancellor of AMU.
Karnataka Hijab row
The hijab controversy in Karnataka gained momentum since the first week of January last year after eight Muslim girls were denied entry to classes in a Udupi college because they were wearing hijabs. The college authorities had informed that the hijab was not a part of the uniform dress code mandated for the students.