A private school in Thane’s Mumbra suburb has banned women from wearing burqas on the school premises, The Indian Express reported on Sunday. In a circular issued earlier in December, the management of Symbiosis Convent High School cited security reasons for the ban.
The circular states that parents and family members of students would have to reveal their face by lifting the veil when they enter the school. It also said students could not cover their face even while leaving the school.
“Some students left school in a fully-veiled burqa,” school’s trustee Kamalraj Deo told The Indian Express. “When their parents came, our security wouldn’t know where their girls were.”
He said that recently, two fully-veiled women had come to take their children home early. “Their faces were covered. We summoned the class teacher, but before she could arrive, the two ran away,” Deo said, claiming that the women intended to abduct the children.
“I don’t intend to hurt any religious sentiments, but on camera, faces need to be revealed, for our records,” Deo added.
An unidentified student, however, opposed the ban. “Our hijabs are meant to be wrapped in such a way that our faces are visible at all times,” she told The Indian Express.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!