Mumbai: A student of Sai
Homeopathic Medical College (SHMC) in Bhiwandi moved the Bombay High Court
against her college. She was reportedly not allowed to wear a hijab
(headscarf). She was barred from sitting for examinations on the ground of
having low attendance.
The girl, a resident of Bandra in
Mumbai and student of homoeopathy has moved court on Monday seeking permission
to appear for the first-year examinations of Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine
and Surgery (BHMS) course at Sai Homeopathic Medical College (SHMC) in Bhiwandi
beginning June 1.
She claimed that she cleared
her Common Entrance Test and secured admission in SHMC on December 14, 2016.
While the session started on December 27, 2016, she started attending college
from the next day.
In the petition, she stated
that she was shocked to see that all Muslim girls were forced to remove their
hijab. She alleged that the Muslim girls were threatened to either stop wearing
hijab or attend classes. She told that several girls either took off their
hijab or left the college, but she refused to do so.
The girl further said that she
and her parents told the college authorities that it was not possible for her
to stop wearing hijab since it is a religious practice for that they approached
several college authorities to resolve the issue. On January 11, 2017, they
wrote to the Union Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha
and Homoeopathy (AYUSH).
On January 20, 2017, the
ministry allegedly wrote to the college stating that it “cannot compel a
student to not wear hijab, since it is disrespect to social justice,” while
directing it to immediately resolve the issue.
However, according to the
petitioner, she was asked to leave college. Her father also requested Medical
Education and Drugs Department (MEDD) and also to the State Human Rights
Commission to intervene.
Finally, she approached the HC,
on March 12, this year. SHMC lawyer, however, claimed that the college was not
opposed to the petitioner wearing hijab. “The college had allowed her to wear
hijab but she was insisting on wearing a full burqa. If she wore a burqa, it
would have been difficult for her to wear an apron, which is required in some
of the classes.”
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