All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) Karnataka unit condemned the BJP-led state government’s decision on making uniforms compulsory in schools and colleges even as the High Court is yet to hear into the Hijab issue.
“This move of the government is highly condemnable when the issue is still in court,” stated a press release from the organisation’s state secretary Ajay Kamath.
“To keep religion away from education was the call of uncompromising freedom fighters like Bhagath Singh, Nethaji and many others. They said that religion is a matter of personal belief,” said Kamath.
“Even Vivekananda had declared - ‘Hands off religion! Religion has no business in formulating social laws!’ But, all the governments post-independence, have not kept religion away. Rather, they merged religion in every aspect of education and polity,” he added.
This is not the question of Hijab alone. There is no limit to religious practices in schools and colleges. It is a betrayal of the dreams of those fighters who fought for secular and democratic education, he said.
An unprecedented attack on the student community and education, by the governments, have increased in recent times. The present crisis calls for stronger unity of students. If they allow themselves to be divided on caste and religion then who is going to be benefited and who is going to suffer, the students must ponder. Students should recognise that the government itself is encouraging such divisive forces, said Kamath.
They must keep all such forces away and must unite to fight against the real and genuine problems in the field of education like the commercialisation of education, the press release added.