Hijab and examination: An appeal to the Chief Minister of Karnataka
Prof. Varadesh Hiregange writes urging CM to allow Muslim students in SSLC exams with Hijab
Mangaluru: In the wake of the commencement of the SSLC Examination in the state on Monday, the Director of MAHE’s Gandhian Centre for Philosophical Arts and Sciences, Professor Varadesh Hiregange has written a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai urging him to allow Muslim students in Hijab to appear for their SSLC examinations.
“We may get into very scholarly arguments on Hijab and other matters – ideological, historical, legal, religious and philosophical – but, I am sure, you will agree with me, basic human values transcend time and space, region and religion, culture and nation, dress code and the code of conduct,” he wrote in his letter.
“Now, as a born Hindu I earnestly appeal to you, to the High Court of Karnataka, to all the Hindus opposing Hijab – to keep all other arguments aside and allow Muslim girls to write their examination even with Hijab. We may continue our debate on Hijab later too, but a young student facing examination (and you know it very well), will look for certain immediate relief from the Government, from the Court, from their classmates, at this critical hour,” he added.
“Perhaps, Muslim girls are caught between two compulsions. They are the victims. The Government, the Court, and Hinduism, perhaps, need to recognise this and bail them out of this crisis. They need to be, at least, saved from this immediate crisis (of being prevented from writing examination) and our ideological/legal debate may go on later too. There must be a certain way to make it happen – to allow Muslim girls to write the examination even with Hijab - and perhaps, that would be genuine governance, genuine law, and genuine Hinduism.” He further added in his letter.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
