Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala General Education Minister V. Sivankutty on Saturday announced that the government is ready to assist the Muslim girl student, who was barred from wearing a hijab in a Church-run private school in Kochi, in securing admission in any other institution of her choice.
The minister stated that a special order would be issued if the student formally approaches the government for help. The announcement comes a day after the student’s father expressed his intention to seek admission for his daughter in another school.
“So, if the student is interested and approaches the government, we will take steps to secure her admission in any school she wishes to join through a special order,” Sivankutty told reporters.
Emphasising the importance of education, the minister added that, as per Kerala’s cultural values, no student should lose an opportunity to study due to lack of admission. He also held the St. Rita school management responsible for any mental stress the girl may have experienced due to the incident.
The father of the Class VIII student had said on Friday that his daughter would not be returning to the school. “My daughter has been under severe stress after the hijab incident. She clearly said she doesn't want to return, so we decided to respect her wishes,” he said. The family has reportedly already approached other schools for admission.
Meanwhile, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key ally of the opposition Congress-led UDF, expressed support for the education minister’s stand. IUML national general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty described the school management’s decision to bar the student from wearing a hijab as an example of “utmost intolerance.”
“It was an unfortunate incident that should not have happened in a state like Kerala,” Kunhalikutty said at a press conference in Malappuram. He alleged that certain vested interests in society were deliberately attempting to create issues, which is why the IUML had not intervened earlier. He further criticised the school management’s stance and media statements, calling them “very undesirable” and reflective of intolerance.
The controversy began after the school objected to the girl wearing a hijab, citing its dress code policy. The issue escalated into a major dispute, with Minister Sivankutty backing the student. On October 10, the student’s parents, along with others, visited the school to question the management’s stance, after which the institution declared a two-day holiday. The Kerala High Court later directed that police protection be provided to the school.
With PTI inputs