SECULARISM WEAPONIZED IN KARNATAKA

Abstract:
This project is about the Hijab controversy which is happened in Karnataka. In this
project, shows that the secularism has been used as weapon in this hijab problem happened in
Karnataka. The English term “secular” comes from the Latin word “saeculam”, which meant a
generation, or an age, or the spirit of an age that could signify the span of a century. A secular
state is one which recognises every citizen as equal and does not recognise any social or
religious groups. But practically, in secularism there is also tolerance of all religions with
special emphasis on the protection of minorities and preservation of communal harmony. India
is assumed as a nation in theoretical phase where as tensions of all kinds are making around.
During its long development the term “secularisation” has often served the partisans of
controversy and has constantly taken on new meanings without completely losing old ones.
This project also about the hijabophobia involved in this problem happened in Karnataka.

Keywords: Secularism, religion, hijabophobia.

INTRODUCTION:
The Hijab controversy has been going in Karnataka since the beginning of January. It
came to the fore on January 1 at Government PU college in Udupi, where six female students
claimed that they were not allowed to enter the classroom wearing hijab. So they started protest
against the college authorities.

After this similar protest emerged from the other towns in Karnataka. Then several
videos of the protest came in social media, which showed Muslims and Hindu students
engaging in the verbal spats. One video showed a Muslim girl standing in front of large number
boys wearing saffron scarf and shouted “Jai Shri Ram”, and she shouted back “Allah hu
Akbar”.

There are more than a billions of Muslims in the world, which is the second largest
religion after the Christianity. According to some survey Islam is the fastest growing religion
all over the world. In India, the total population is 130crores and the Muslim population is
around 25crores.
 In India most of the Muslims wearing and other veils. Those veils were cover their hair,
head, face and their whole body from the unrelated men. There is no compulsion or rule to
wear these veils, they should wore on their own interest. There are different types of Islamic
veils they are Shayla, Hijab, Hijab Amira, Khimar, Niqab and Burqa. In olden days men also
wore a kind of veils.

What is Hijab? And Why?

Women in Islam, have their responsibilities to respect their religion. The hijab is a
headscarf or veil which is worn by the Muslim girls and women to maintain their modesty and
privacy from the unrelated men. It covers their head, hair and face. The hijab is to the believing
women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty.

This is one of the major problem in India, this will makes a big impact on students. If
this problem continues there will be religious problem occurs between students in future. So
the Government should take the better decision to avoid those religious riots in future.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

This study is mainly to know how secularism used as a weapon in Karnataka’s hijab issue. This
study focus on the hijab issue which is happened in Karnataka where the students were
involved. And how the secularism is connected to this issue.

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND:

In the political terms, the secularism is a movement which towards the separation of
religion and the government. This can refer to reducing the ties between the government and a
state religion, replacing the laws based on the scripture with the civil laws and eliminating the
discrimination on the basis of religion.

Secularism is an ambiguous concept that can be understood to refer to a number of policies and
ideas like anticlericalism, atheism, state neutrality toward religion, the separation of religion
from the state, banishment of religious symbols from the public sphere, or disestablishment.
Secularism has been categorized into two types. They are Hard and Soft secularism. Hard
secularism means irregular, considering religion illegitimate and seeking to discourage and
weaken the religious faith as much as possible. Soft secularism gives attention on tolerance,
and neutrality and seeking to exclude “the state from any involvement in doctrine”, and exclude
"upholders of any doctrine from using the coercive powers of the state”.
 Though the term ‘secular’ was not initially mentioned in original constitution, but the
Indian constitution has always been secular. As, we have already discussed how Indian
secularism differs from western concept. So, in India, it is not mutual exclusion, rather it is
principled distance, a complex idea that allows state to be distant from all religions so that it
can intervene or abstain from interference, depending upon which of these two would better
promote “Liberty, equality and social justice”.

Constitution reinforces and reinvents forms of liberal individualism through Article- 26, 28,
19, etc. Constitution upholds the principle of social justice without compromising on individual
liberties. The constitutional commitment to caste based affirmative action program, shows how
much ahead India was compared to the other nations (as in US it began after 1964 civil rights
movements)

Against the background of inter-communal strife, the constitution upholds its commitment to
group rights (the right to the expression of cultural particularity). So, our forefathers/ framers
of the constitution were more than willing to face the challenges of what has to be known as
multiculturalism.

The question of secularism is not one of sentiments, but one of laws. The secular objective of
the state was expressed by inserting the word ‘Secular’ in the preamble by the 42nd
constitutional amendment act, 1976. Secularism is basic structure of the constitution.

Fundamental rights (Article 12 to 35) guarantees and promotes secularism.

1. Right to equality
2. Right to freedom
3. Right against exploitation
4. Right to freedom of religion cultural
5. Right to education
6. Right to constitutional remedies

These are such six fundamental rights.

Hijabophobia:

Hijabophobia is a term referring to discrimination against women wearing Islamic veils,

including the hijab, chador, niqab and burqa. It is considered a gender-specific type of
Islamophobia, or simply "hostility towards the hijab. The term is applied to discourse based in
colonial representations of Muslim women as victims oppressed by chauvinistic cultures in
academic circles.

Some of the hijabophobia movements which affects the women in the various places. Those
movements are:

 In November 2017, Catholic school in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district has barred
two Muslim students from wearing the hijab inside the campus. They said it is against
the uniform code of the institution. The school does not allow them to wear it inside
school premises.
 In February 2020, Uttar Pradesh’s labour minister Raghuraj Singh has called for an out
bright ban on women wearing burqas, suggesting that terrorists have been using them
to elude authorities.
 In February 2019, A Muslim educational group in Kerala has banned its students from
covering their faces with clothing on the campuses of its institutions. The Kozhikode-
based Muslim Education Society (MES), which runs several educational institutions in
the country, issued a circular urging its students not to attend classes wearing any face-
covering attire.
 Hijabophobia is referred to the discrimination against the wearing Islamic veils, which
also includes the hijab, chador, niqab and burqa. It is also considered as the kind of
Islamophobia.
 In France, Islamophobia is mixed with hijabophobia. In 2012 the hijabophobia became
spread after the Sep 11 attacks, as evidenced by the number of laws regulating and
restricting the hijab in the public places. According to ACLU (American Civil Liberties
Union), 69% of women who wore hijab reported at least one incident of discrimination,
compared to 29% of women who did not wore the hijab.
 In 2019, Decathlon, a sportswear brand made the decision to not to sell the hijab
sportswear in France.
 The Iranian women’s national soccer team was disqualified from 2012 Olympics
because the players wore hijabs. And also in the French soccer league, as it is the only
international body to exclude hijab wearing women from practicing the sport.

These are the some incidents which is faced by those who wore hijab. They affected more
because of wearing hijab. These incidents were happened in the term of hijabophobia.

OBJECTIVES:
  To know about how the secularism related to this case.
 To analyse the student awareness on this hijab controversy which happened in
Karnataka.
 To determine the opinions of students about the ban of hijab on schools & colleges.
 To understand the student’s opinion on political religious issues.
 To find out the unity on the different religion students.

NEED FOR THE STUDY:

 This study will helps to know about how the secularism and hijabophobia were related
to the hijab case in Karnataka.
 This study is helps to know the school and college student’s thoughts about the Hijab
ban problem.
 This study helps the students to know about the religious problems happenings in India.
 This study helps the upcoming researches about the secularism related problems.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

1. Watson, Ajith Kumar (2014), Secularism is a concept vitalises the integrated values
in the modern society but the trends of Multi-pluralistic society by the new phraseology
of pseudo-secularism).
2. Nandy, Deepa Das (2013). A Last and more controversial reason to forego secularism
as a descriptor has to do with the perineal concern of Indian secularism, Hindu
nationalism, Hindu nationalist support for true secularism.
3. Cumper & Lewis (2009), The head dress is not just a symbol for Islam, it is also a
symbol in Jewish and Christian religions and many Muslim men wear a head dress also,
however, it is the female Islamic head dress that has caused the most controversy.
4. Samuel Moyn (2017), Secularism plays a major role for the protection of the state
order. There is an inseparable linkage between democracy and secularism in India. In
India secularism has emerged in our struggle for freedom as a complimentary value of
democracy and nationalism.
5. Giddy, The real education can grow only in secular environment of country. Indian
constitution is based on concept of political philosophy under which all forms of faith
and worship are of equal importance.
6. Gledhill, R (2006), At the very best, let us face upto a point that will be invariably
made in any discussion on ‘secularism’ in India, viz, that in the indian context has
different meanings from its standards use in the English language.
7. Taylor, C (2008), The English term ‘secular’ comes from the Latin word “saeculum”,
which meant a generation, or an age, or the spirit of an age and could also signify the
span of a century.
8. Levey and Modood (2009), The status of ‘secularism’ in the Indian constitution after
the 42nd amendment has been hugely contested. The term “secular” has advisedly not
been defined presumably because it is a very elastic term not capable of a precise
definitions and perhaps best left undefined.
9. Bakht Ahmed, Firoz (2022), In a school or college, religious identity should not be
the defining identity. A dispute over uniforms has been blown out of proportion by
being politicised and communalised. He has underlined the primacy of the Constitution
over hot-headed emotions.
10. Wahab, Ghazala (2022), The religious-political mix has historically yielded great
short-term benefits, but always for the majority. In independent India’s history, there
has been no instance of any minority group ever having benefitted from competitive
communalism. Yet, navigating the path strewn with the carcasses of past failures,
Muslims continue to blunder their way into trap after trap. The latest such “aa bail
mujhe maar” event has been the hijab controversy in Karnataka.

Judgement in the High court of Karnataka:

In a big verdict, the Karnataka high court said that wearing the hijab is not an essential
religious practice and upheld a state government order on adhering to uniform in
educational institutions.

A three-judge full bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and
Justice JM Khazi rejected the plea that the ban violates rights guaranteed by the
Constitution under Articles 14 (Right to Equality), Article 15 (No discrimination over
faith), Article 19 (Freedom of speech & expression), Article 21 (Protection of life &
personal liberty) and Article 25 (Freedom of religion).
METHODOLOGY:

POPULATION:

The population for this study consist of school and college students in Chennai and its
nearby districts also.

SAMPLE SIZE:

The sample study of this study is 100 students of school and college in Chennai and its
nearby districts also.

METHOD OF SAMPLING:

Random sampling method is used for collecting the required data for analysis.

SOURCE OF DATA:

Primary data:

The information which is collected by taking survey using the questionnaire using
Google forms.

Secondary data:

Secondary information for the present research is collected from online articles,
research papers, journals, government records, newspapers, from authors and websites based
on the topic.

TOOLS FOR DATA COLLECTION:

In this study, the data is collected through the Google forms.

TOOLS FOR DATA ANALYSIS:

The data analysed by simple statistical method:

 Average.

TOOLS FOR PRESENTATION:

The tools used for presentations are:

 Tables
 Charts.
 Religion in Karnataka by population

S.no Religion Population

1 Hindu 51,317,472
2 Muslim 7,893,065
3 Christian 1,142,647
4 Jain 440,280
5 Buddhist 95,710
6 Sikh 28,773
7 Other religions 11,263
8 Religion not stated 166,087
Total 61,095,297

Religion in Karnataka by percentage

S.no Religion Population

1 Hindu 84.00%
2 Muslim 12.92%
3 Christian 1.87%
4 Jain 0.72%
5 Buddhist 0.16%
6 Sikh 0.05%
7 Other religions 0.02%
8 Religion not stated 0.27%
Total 100%
 3.1.1 GENDER WISE CALCULATION

Gender No. of Respondents Percentage

Male 31 62
Female 19 38
Others 0 0
Total 50 100
Table 3.1.1

Gender Wise Calculation

Female
38%

Male
62%

Male Female

Figure 3.1.1

Interpretation:
From the above figure 3.1.1, shows that 38% of the respondents are Female and 62%
of the respondents are Male.
 3.1.2 AGE WISE CALCULATION

Age No. of Respondents Percentage

15-20 7 14
20-25 40 80
25-30 2 4
Above 30 1 2
Total 50 100
Table 3.1.2

AGE OF RESPONDENTS
90
80
80

70

60

50

40

30

20 14
10 4 2
0
15-20 20-25 25-30 30+

Fig 3.1.2

Interpretation:
From the above figure 3.1.2, shows that 80% of the respondents were in 20-25 age
group, 14% of the respondents were 15-20 age group, 4% of the respondents were 25-30 age
group and 2% of the respondents were above 30 age group.
 3.1.3 Education qualification of the Respondents

Education qualification No. of Respondents Percentage

12 2 4

UG 25 50
PG 21 42
Others 2 4

Total 50 100
Table 3.1.3

Others 12
4% 4%

PG
42% UG
50%

12 UG PG Others

Fig 3.1.3

Interpretation:
From the above figure 3.1.3, shows that 50% of the respondent’s qualification is UG,
42% of the respondent’s qualification is PG, 4% of respondents were 12th and 4% were doing
others.
 3.1.4 No. of respondents were religious

Options No. of Respondents Percentage

Yes 30 60
No 12 24
Not prefer to say 8 16
Total 50 100
Table 3.1.4

RELIGIOUS RESPONDENTS
Yes No Not prefer to say

16%

24%
60%

Fig 3.1.4

Interpretation:
From the above fig 3.1.4, shows that 60% of the respondents were religious, 24% of
the respondents were non-religious and 16% of the respondents were not prefer to say.
 3.1.5 Religion wise calculation

Options No. of Respondents Percentage

Hindu 35 70
Muslim 12 24
Christian 2 4
Jain 1 2
Others 0 0
Total 50 100
Table 3.1.5

RELIGION WISE CALCULATION

Hindu
70

Muslim
24

Christian
4

Jain
2

Others
0

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Fig 3.1.5

Interpretation:
From the above fig 3.1.5, shows that 70% of the respondents were Hindus, 24% of the
respondents were Muslims, 4% of the respondents were Christians and 2% of the respondents
were Jains.
 3.1.6 Respondents awareness on Hijab issue

Options No. of Respondents Percentage

Extremely aware 20 40
Very aware 13 26
Moderately aware 8 16
Slightly aware 8 16
Not at all aware 1 2
Total 50 100
Table 3.1.6

AWARENESS ON HIJAB ISSUE

Extremely aware
40

Very aware
26

Moderately aware
16

Slightly aware
16

Not at all aware

2

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Fig 3.1.6

Interpretation:
From the above figure 3.1.6, shows that 40% of the respondents were extremely
aware about the hijab issue, 26% of the respondents were very aware, 16% of the respondents
were moderately aware, 16% of the respondents were slightly aware and 2% of the
respondents were not at all aware.
 3.1.7 Wearing hijab important in Islam

Options No. of Respondents Percentage

Extremely important 14 28
Very important 9 18
Moderately important 19 38
Slightly important 6 12
Not at all important 2 4
Total 50 100
Table 3.1.7

Not at all important 4

Slightly important 12

Moderately important 38

Very important 18

Extremely important 28

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Fig 3.1.7

Interpretation:
From the above figure 3.1.7, shows that 28% of respondents said extremely important,
18% said very important, 38% said moderately important, 12% said slightly important and
4% said not at all important.
 3.1.8 Wearing hijab on own interest
Options No. of Respondents Percentage

Strongly agree 27 54
Agree 19 38

No opinion 4 8

Disagree 0 0

Strongly disagree 0 0
Total 50 100
Table 3.1.8

Strongly disagree 0

Disagree 0

No opinion 8

Agree 38

Strongly agree 54

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Fig 3.1.8

Interpretation:
From the above figure 3.1.8, shows that 54% of the respondents were strongly agreed,
38% of the respondents were agreed and 8% of the respondents were had no opinion.
 3.1.9 Support for girls who protested

Options No. of Respondents Percentage

Strongly support 24 48
Support 16 32
No opinion 9 18
Not support 1 2
Strongly not support 0 0
Total 50 100
Table 3.1.9

Strongly not support 0

Not support 2

No opinion 18

Support 32

Strongly support 48

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Fig 3.1.9

Interpretation:
From the above figure 3.1.9, shows that 48% of the respondents were strongly support
those girls, 32% of the respondents were support, 18% of the respondents were had no
opinion and 2% of them were not support.
 3.1.10 Hindu students stands against hijab

Options No. of Respondents Percentage

Strongly agree 4 8
Agree 12 24
No opinion 15 30
Disagree 12 24
Strongly disagree 7 14
Total 50 100
Table 3.1.10

Strongly disagree 14

Disagree 24

No opinion 30

Agree 24

Strongly agree 8

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Fig 3.1.10

Interpretation:
From the above figure 3.1.10, shows that 8% of the respondents were strongly agree,
24% of the respondents were agree, 30% of the respondents were had no opinion, 24% of
them disagree and 14% of them strongly disagree.
 3.1.11 Respondents reaction on No to Hijab

Options No. of Respondents Percentage

Strongly agree 7 14
Agree 5 10
No opinion 6 12
Disagree 19 38
Strongly disagree 13 26
Total 50 100
Table 3.1.11

Strongly disapprove 26

Disagree 38

No opinion 12

Agree 10

Strongly agree 14

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Fig 3.1.11

Interpretation:
From the above figure 3.1.11, shows that 14% of the respondents strongly approved,
10% of the respondents approved, 12% of the respondents had no opinion, 38% of them
disapproved and 26% of them strongly disapproved.
 3.1.12 Influence of ruling party

Options No. of Respondents Percentage

Strongly approve 9 18
Approve 23 46
No opinion 15 30
Disapprove 2 4
Strongly disapprove 1 2
Total 50 100
Table 3.1.12

Strongly disapprove 2

Disapprove 4

No opinion 30

Approve 46

Strongly approve 18

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Fig 3.1.12

Interpretation:
From the above figure 3.1.12, shows that 18% of the respondents strongly approved,
46% of the respondents approved, 30% of the respondents had no opinion, 4% of them
disapproved and 2% of them strongly disapproved.
 3.1.13 Opinion on decision by Government

Options No. of Respondents Percentage

Excellent 1 2
Good 7 14
Fair 2 4
Poor 20 20
Very poor 20 40
Total 50 100
Table 3.1.13

OPINION ON GOVT. DECISION

2
14

4
40

20

Fig 3.1.13

Interpretation:
From the above figure 3.1.13, shows that 40%of the respondents said very poor
decision, 20% of them said poor decision, 4% said fair, 14% said good.
Findings:

 62% of the respondents taken for this study were male and rest of the respondents were
female.
 Most of the respondents were belongs to the 20-25 age group.
 50% of the respondents were UG qualified and 42% of the respondents were PG
qualified.
 From this study, most of the respondents were religious.
 In this study most of the respondents were Hindus and Muslims.
 Some of the respondents were Christians.
 Most of the respondents were aware of the hijab issue which happened in Karnataka.
 From this study most of the respondents said wearing hijab is moderately important.
 And some of the respondents said that wearing hijab is extremely important.
 Majority of the respondents strongly agree that wearing hijab is their own interest.
 In this study majority of respondents strongly support those girls who protested for the
hijab.
 Most of the respondents have no opinion on those Hindu students stand against the
hijab.
 Some of the respondents disagree for those Hindu students stand against the hijab.
 Most of the respondents disagree for only saying no to hijab.
 Majority of the respondents approves that there is ruling party’s influence in this hijab
issue.
 Some of the respondents have no opinion about the influence of the ruling party.
 Majority of the respondents said that the decision made by the government is very poor.
Suggestions:

 The students should not get into these kind of protests.

 The girl students should wear hijab on their own interest.
 The school also should allow those students to wear hijab inside the school campus.
 In Punjab some of the students wearing Turban inside the classroom, like that those
Muslim girls also have rights to wear hijab inside the classroom.
 Everyone should know about the secularism.
 Students should aware and not get biased or influenced by the politics.
 The government also should made the better decision to solve this problem.

Conclusion:

This study on hijab issue in Karnataka which happened in the beginning of January
2022. In this issue secularism is used as a weapon. There is influence of the political parties in
this problem. The biased students were made these protests. After the judgement of the high
court of Karnataka, every students should be only wear the uniform in the educational
institutions. This study makes everyone should aware of the secularism which is used as a
weapon by the political parties. This study revealed that the majority of the students supports
to wear hijab.