The top court in southern Indian Kerala state has closed a case involving a Catholic school accused of barring a Muslim student from wearing a hijab, after the student’s counsel informed the court that she no longer wished to continue her studies there. Justice V. G. Arun of the Kerala High Court accepted the submission from the girl’s lawyer that she “was not willing to pursue the case as she had made up her mind to leave the school.” School principal Sister Helena Alby of St. Rita’s Public School in Palluruthy, Ernakulam district, welcomed the ruling, saying, “Our stand is vindicated. We were praying for justice.”
The school maintains a strict uniform policy that bars religious attire, and officials said the student’s parents had agreed to the rule at the time of admission in June, Sr Helena Alby said. She said the parents also give a written undertaking to comply with the school’s codes, including its uniform policy. However, the student reportedly came to school three times in early October wearing a hijab despite repeated reminders to follow the dress code. The issue escalated after local groups, mostly Muslims, entered the campus on Oct. 10, accusing the school of discrimination.
Two days later, the state’s Left Democratic Front government directed the school to permit the student to wear the hijab, a move the school said exceeded the government’s authority since the school is affiliated with the federally administered Central Board of Secondary Education. The court did not examine the merits of the case after the student’s withdrawal, effectively closing the dispute. Political observers said the hijab row may have been politically motivated ahead of next year’s state assembly elections.
