College permits headscarf

05 September 2009

Meeting halfway, the management of SVS College, Bantwal, and the family of Aysha Asmin the girl who insisted on wearing a headscarf in class arrived at an amiable solution. The college put an end to the issue by introducing uniforms for its students, and granted permission to girls to use the shawl (dupatta) of the uniform as a headscarf.

This decision was taken at a meeting with Mangalore University V-C and attended by local MLAs, representatives of the college and others, on Thursday night. The college management was caught in a row over not allowing Aysha Asmin to attend class until she shed her religious identity, a headscarf.

The uniform will be introduced with immediate effect and the process will be completed in a month or two, SVS College correspondent Ganesh Prabhu told TOI. The uniform will be a cream-and-dark brown combination, with a cream-coloured dupatta.

Aysha Asmin yet to decide on a college

Mangalore: SVS College, Bantwal, and the family of Aysha Asmin the girl who insisted on wearing a headscarf in class have arrived at a solution acceptable to both the parties. The college has decided to introduce uniforms in cream-and-dark brown combination , with a cream-coloured dupatta. The dupatta, the college said, can be used as a scarf.

The meeting was held on Thursday under the chairmanship of V-C Prof Kaveriappa , and principal Seetharama Mayya. Aysha was represented by her relatives.

Family happy

Aysha Asmins father Mohammed is happy with the decision , but has still not decided which college she would go to. My daughter is not averse to going to SVS, but her mother is not in favour. The college management called us and said they would be happy to have Aysha in college. When told that delaying the decision could cost her a year due to attendance shortage, Mohammed said he would decide on the college in a couple of days.

Kaveriappa said Aysha and her father had not approached him after he gave the assurance that he would help her get a transfer from SVS to any college she chose.

If she has attendance shortage, I cannot help her, I can get her attendance transferred to the new college, he said, indicating that they (Ayshas parents) were in a dilemma.

Aysha said a cream-coloured scarf would be fine. I dont have issues about the colour as long as I wear a headscarf in college, she said. She said that by Monday, she will be clear which college she would go to.

source times of india