The row over wearing of hijabs in educational institutions, which is quickly spreading from Karnataka to other states, is obviously spearheaded by a new conspiracy on the part of the Sangh Parivar-BJP. Wearing hijab by Muslim students in schools and colleges is nothing new but the ban on hijabs is something out of the blue. One can easily detect from some facts that the Sangh Parivar-BJP is behind it.
One, the Government P.U. College for Girls in the coastal district Udupi of Karnataka, from where it all started, has the local BJP MLA as the head of its development board, and the meeting that took the decision of banning hijabs in the college was chaired by him.
Two, it was the Hindu male students and youths affiliated to the Sangh Parivar who took the main role to add to the communal colours of this row and spread it through the locality. They obviously created provocation by sporting saffron shawls and shouting "Jai Sriram" slogans at the gate of the girls’ college, although it is inexplicable how the girl students wearing hijab infringe on their rights as they claimed. Rather the question arises why on earth did the Hindu students go in front of the girls college wearing saffron shawls?
Three, apparently, the Karnataka Government took an impartial step as after mere two or three local incidents in two days, it promptly imposed ban on both hijabs and saffron shawls barring the warring students of the two communities. But is it actually so? It is not common for male Hindu students to wear saffron shawls like the Sikh boys’ turban or Muslim girls’ hijabs. Hence forbidding saffron shawls does not de facto constitute any curb on the Hindu students’ right, but in effect Muslim girls were debarred from wearing hijab with the state government endorsing it. After all this can there be any scope for doubt about the conspiracy of the Sangh Parivar-BJP after it was revealed clearly how the issue was allowed to snowball and a ban was forcefully imposed on Muslim students?
The BJP and the Hindutvavadi sections present their case in the garb of secularism. They say that the Muslim girls themselves are introducing religion in the colleges. When those who regularly declare their mission to establish a Hindu Rashtra in India in public, and actually practice for its realization, who always deride at India’s secularism as pseudo-secularism, speak of secularism, can it be credible? They say that educational institutes are deemed to be secular and dress code should bar any religious dress. But then, what about the turban of the Sikh student? What about the vermilion on the married Hindu girl’s forehead or the sacred thread worn by the Hindu Brahmin student? Of course we cannot expect such neutrality from the BJP- Sangh Parivar. They do not notice these. It is no wonder that they are hell-bound to stop the Muslim religious customs. Is this really secular thinking?
It cannot be denied that secularism is an important constituent of democracy. True secularism allows a citizen to follow any religion, or even the freedom of not to adhere to anyone of them. True secularism demands a complete dissociation of the State and the educational institutes from all the religions. But in our country, does such secularism exist in the educational institutes? Except for those run by the minority religious communities, Saraswati Puja is arranged in all, whether Government or Private, educational institutes. Is it a secular practice? How can the BJP, who has made Surya Pranam, Saraswati Vandana etc. compulsory in the educational institutes in the states run by them, now suddenly talk of secularism? Is this not sheer hypocrisy?
The whole debate on hijabs must be put in the context of the continuous onslaught on the rights of the Muslim community by the virulent Hindu organizations like the BJP and the Sangh Parivar. Muslims are being robbed of their natural right to live with dignity like the others. Their women are being displayed in "put up for sale" fake auctions, they are threatened with genocide from Hindu religious conferences (Dharma Sansads), Namaz is forbidden in open spaces in Gurugram, birth control laws are invoked to prove that every Muslim has numerous children and peculiar Love Jihad laws are applied to attack and separate adult couples of different religions. The list seems unending. The ban on hijabs comes in this row. Whether a Muslim girl wears hijab or not should be her personal decision. It is definitely a trespass on her democratic right to force her out of it. Neither the Hindu protagonists nor the Government can do that.
But, is the BJP-Sangh Parivar launching its attack on the rights of Muslims only? We can see that many other sections of society, including even some from the Hindu community, are being targeted by them from time to time. The Una incident and the numerous incidents happening in the BJP-ruled UP prove that the Sangh wants to show the Dalits their place - under the feet of the upper castes, as the lowliest. The Hindutva goons continue to assail the students and the parts of the intelligentsia who dare to challenge the Sangh’s fascist moves in the educational institutes and in other sectors. We cannot forget about the murders of the rationalist personalities like Gauri Lankesh, Kalburgi and others who protested against the fascist aggression. Even the journalists, who are not in favour of the Sangh, are being put up in so-called auctions. But the greatest, though often unnoticed, attacks are being launched on the working class, the peasants and all the toiling people. Irrespective of their creed, caste or nationality, working people are being robbed of their livelihoods. The agricultural laws and the terror unleashed on the protesting farmers offered a good example. Even greater assault is the introduction of the Labour codes which withdraw whatever rights of the workers were there which they earned in the past through their struggles. We cannot set apart the intrusion on Muslims from this overall aggression by the fascists.
It is important to note that the hijab debate has been incited with an underlying plan to deepen and intensify the communal divide among the student community. Is the student-youth community really bothered about whether they should or should not wear hijabs or saffron shawls? We all know about the plight of education in schools and colleges these days, especially in the Government-run ones. The BJP government has drastically reduced the budget allotment in education which was already meager previously. The government is extending its "pay your own expenses" policy to the education sector like many others. Education is becoming the rich man’s privilege and the poor is restricted from it. Chaos reigns in schools, colleges and in examination systems--not in any particular state, but in all the states in general. The greatest problem of the students and the youth is the scarcity of jobs after completion of education. Recently, UP and Bihar witnessed the rage of the youth over the Rail Board’s examination fiasco, which was enough to show how acute the unemployment problem in the country has become. Who can deny that all the ruling parties, including the BJP, are responsible for this state of affairs? It is they who have taken this course of this development in the interest of the big capitalists of this country, a "development" which is now synonymous with "jobless growth". Employment scopes have been hugely reduced in mega sectors like banking, railways and the mining sectors. The few new industries that have emerged engage merely a handful of personnel. Though the IT sector or the likes have engaged some at fabulous wages, but around 90% of the youth either face unemployment, or are employed at meagre wages of a few thousand rupees on inhuman terms of work. The whole employment process in the public sector is ridden with corruption. The students and the youth are clueless about the solution to these critical problems that afflict their lives. Do the religious and communal disputes offer any solution to them? Quite on the contrary. By creating furore like the one over hijab are they instigating the youth so that they get oblivious of the real problems that ail them and do not stand up against the designs of the ruling class? We have to ponder about this.
We cannot term the custom of hijab as progressive, though. Notwithstanding the fact that, hijab-clad Muslim women have come out in large numbers or would come out in coming days to demand their rights, it cannot be said that hijab is not an expression of conservative mentality. It certainly speaks of the growing influence of Islamic fundamentalists on these women. But the aggressive Hindu fundamentalists have a role here too; as their continuous communal campaign has impacted a large section of the Hindus and has been able to poison them against the Muslims. It has also made a reciprocal effect on the Muslim masses, helping them to consolidate communally and urging them to endear the communal identity more than ever. No wonder, the Muslim fundamentalists use this situation to their utmost. Their growth in influence, in turn produces a communal reaction within the Hindus again. Thus, the vicious cycle of antagonism snowballs and people everywhere organise more and more on communal lines, leading to a rise in religious and backward sentiments and customs with it.
Democracy definitely demands eradication of such backward practices, but at the same time, it cannot be imposed forcibly. This is simple, because, forcible exercise from above does not help to eliminate a custom, but that practice or custom becomes more entrenched. The Sangh and the BJP - being the tricksters they are - while guarding the backward customs in the Hindu tradition, speak out against backward practices among the Muslims. Their pretence being known, it is important to note that their aggression result in the surge of the opposite, Muslim fundamentalism. Of course they do not bother about it. In this way both the communalism are complementary helping in the growth of each other.
We must admit that, the fundamental reason behind this state of affairs is the failure of the revolutionary movement of the proletariat and the toiling people for a long time. A rolling stone gathers no moss, and hence stagnancy of revolutionary movement allows accumulation of backward values and sentiments among the masses. On this basis during the past thirty years the proliferation of various communal and fundamentalist forces, including the Hindutva communal forces have taken place. The most dangerous thing among this is the continuation of fascist aggression of the Sangh Parivar and BJP, whose aim is transforming India into a Hindu rashtra. Only class struggle can resist the fascist expedition of the Sangh Parivar, as well as all other fundamentalisms.
We may observe that, while it is true that, communalism and blind religious sentiments engulf the vast backward sections of society, on the other, the continuous economic assault on the people by the Central Government in the interest of the corporate sector, the intensification of crisis in the lives of the poor, are also helping them to recognise the true character of the rulers at the same time. The farmers’ movement offered an example of the unity the rural people of all the communities, including Hindus or Muslims, which was build up to resist the attack of the ruling class. Class contradiction within society will once again give rise to class struggle and it will not only uproot all communal forces including the virulent Hindutva forces, but also lead the working class along with the toiling masses towards the path of liberation. The vanguard of the proletariat must strive towards that end.
For a Proletarian Party
23rd February, 2022
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