Hijab Row: Vice President said people should remember that they are Indians first. (File)
Bengaluru:
Amid the raging hijab controversy in Karnataka, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said on Saturday that unnecessary controversy should not be encouraged and students should be guided by the school uniform.
“Unnecessary controversies should not be encouraged, such as the controversy that is going on in Karnataka. In a school you are all guided by the school uniform, whatever it is,” said Vice President Naidu after the inauguration of the indoor sports arena and L’atelier at a private school in Bengaluru.
The Vice President underlined the need to realize the beauty of India’s diverse culture: “Vividhata mein Ekta, Bharat Ki Visheshta (Unity in diversity, that is the specialty of India). Alag Bhasha, Alag Vesh – Phir Bhi Apna Ek Desh (Different languages, different costumes — yet we are one nation).
He also said that people should remember that they are Indians first.
“Regardless of caste, creed, gender, religion and region, we are all one. We are Indians first. This must be remembered by everyone. There must be no discrimination,” the vice president noted.
Vice President Naidu also pointed out that people should be proud of the languages they speak and promote them.
Emphasizing extracurricular activities in the schools, he said the new national education policy is pushing for this aspect.
He also urged all state governments and educational institutions to prioritize sports, extracurricular activities and also develop a spiritual mind in children.
“Spirituality does not mean religion. Religion is your personal choice, but our culture, our heritage, our Dharma (duty), we should all follow in our lives,” the vice president told the audience.
According to him, the erosion of values has destroyed humanity in the world.
“We must restore values, preserve our heritage, promote our culture and be proud to be an Indian. Be proud to be a Bharatiyasaid the vice president.
In stating that India was once known as a ‘Vishwa Guru’, Vice President Naidu pointed out that the long colonial rule has made us forget our glorious past.
“India is moving today and it’s time to go back to our roots,” he added.
In his inimitable style, Vice President Naidu told the meeting that discipline, dynamism, training, dedication and dedication were of the hour in India.
“Education is a mission, not by commission. There must be no omission. We must not remit and work passionately for the promotion of the nation. This is what is needed,” he said.
The vice president also urged educational institutions to give equal importance to studies, sports, co-curricular and recreational activities.
He said such an approach will lead to the overall growth of students and make them confident individuals. He also wanted the educational institutions to involve students in activities such as gardening, tree planting and water conservation.
This will bring children closer to nature, he said, further emphasizing the need for water conservation by emphasizing 3Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle.
Vice President Naidu stressed the importance of physical fitness in daily activities and wanted the Fit India movement to reach every school, college, university, panchayat and village.
The vice president described art as limitless, saying that art shapes our imagination and speaks a universal language that knows no limits.
Referring to India’s unique and diverse dance forms, he mentioned Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Kuchipudi as some of the many ancient art forms passed down from generation to generation.
“India’s art, music and drama are the greatest gifts to the world and it is the duty of each of us to protect and promote our rich and diverse art forms,” said the vice president.
The Governor of Karnataka, Thaawar Chand Gehlot, the Minister of Karnataka, Munirathna, and the school authorities were also present on the occasion.
On January 1, six girl students from a university in Udupi attended a press conference held by the CFI in the coastal town to protest against university authorities banning them from classrooms wearing hijab.
This was four days after they asked the principal for permission to wear hijab in class, which was not allowed. Until then, students wore the headscarf on campus but entered the classroom after taking it off, college principal Rudre Gowda had said.
“The institution had no rule about wearing hijabs as no one wore them in class for the past 35 years. The students who came up with the demand had the support of outside forces,” Mr Gowda had said.
As the issue of hijab vs saffron scarves spread to various educational institutions in many parts of Karnataka, the state government announced holidays from February 9 to February 15 in all pre-university colleges and from February 9 to February 16 in degree and diploma colleges .
The girls then approached Karnataka’s Supreme Court to seek relief and overturn the February 5 government order banning students from wearing clothes that could disrupt peace, harmony and public order.
The full bench of the Supreme Court consisting of CJ Awasthi, Judge JM Khazi and Judge Krishna S Dixit, which has been hearing the case daily since Feb. 10, has asked the state government in an interim injunction to reopen education. institutions, which were hit by the agitation, and prevented students from wearing Hijab and saffron scarves in class until the last order was delivered.
The court has concluded its hearing and is likely to issue its final ruling soon.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)
