Right-Wing Leaders in DS College in Aligarh Want Ban of Burqa, Skull Caps

New Delhi: Dharm Samaj (DS) Degree College, Aligarh, associated with the University of Agra, is once again in the news after some leaders associated with Right-wing have warned students who belong to minority community not to come to the campus in burqas, skull caps or headscarves.

The DS college student leaders reportedly also threatened that if minority students do not stop wearing burqas and skull caps, then they should be ready to face dire consequences, adding that even they would start wearing saffron clothes.

When asked, DS College proctor Mukesh told Newsclick, "We have a dress code for girls which is pink kurta and white salwar and for boys, it’s a white shirt and grey pants. We have not issued any notice regarding burqa and skull cap,” adding that “there are some fringe elements in the college, along with some outsiders, who are trying to destabilise the atmosphere of the campus."

Meanwhile, there is an environment of fear among girls due to this threat with some of them avoiding going to the campus for a few days, a girl told Newsclick on the condition of anonymity.

In solidarity with DS College students, the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Students’ Union, expressed deep concern over the dress code threat by the Right-wing leaders to women from the minority community. "These saffron Right-wing groups are filled with hate and they do not want to see Muslim girls in institutions of higher education. Such elements are a threat to constitutional values of freedom to education and freedom to the dress code for Indian minorities,” Salman Imtiaz, a former AMUSU president told Times of India.

He said such “elements are not the enemies of Muslims alone, they threaten Sikhs, Dalits and Christian as well,” adding that the demand to impose a dress code was a “fascist demand” that threatened the multicultural heritage of India.

Terming the entire episode as an attempt to “politicise” the educational institution, Imtiaz said: “These elements acting in the name of Hinduism are defaming Hindu religion” and demanded immediate action against them and called upon the state government to prevent such elements from “spreading communal discord."

Earlier Newsclick had reported that students of geology department in DS College held a protest after students started facing job hurdles as their marksheet was dated 'June 31'.