Social media is abuzz with the video of a college student clad in burqa facing off a large group of saffron scarf-wearing men at a college in India’s Karnataka.
Muskan, the student in hijab seen standing up to the mob at her, told NDTV on Wednesday that she "was not worried" about facing them alone and that she will keep fighting for her right to wear hijab.
In the confrontation caught on camera, Muskan is taunted by slogan-shouting young men wearing saffron scarves, but she fights back, at the pre-university college in Mandya.
As the mob shouts "Jai Shri Ram" and moves towards her, Muskan shouts back: "Allahu Akbar." She keeps shouting the words as the hecklers seemingly follow her to the building. Finally, college officials escort her away from the men, the footage shows.
"I was not worried. When I entered the college they were not allowing me just because I was wearing the burqa," Muskan told NDTV.
"They started shouting Jai Shri Ram. So I started screaming Allahu Akbar. The principal and lecturers supported me and protected me."
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Muskan said she recognized “about 10%” of the men in the group as students of the college and the rest seemed to be outsiders.
"Our priority is our education. They are ruining our education,” she said.
Muskan’s protest came against the backdrop of colleges across Karnataka seeing rising demonstrations by hijab-wearing students on the one hand and men wearing saffron scarves on the other.
The protests started last month at Government PU College for GIrls in Udupi when six students claimed that they had been barred from classes for insisting on wearing hijab.
The demonstrations spread to more colleges in Udupi and other cities like Mandya and Shivamogga, with college staff banning hijab—though rules allow it—and many students taking a confrontational position by showing up in saffron scarves and shouting slogans.
"This only started last week. We would wear burqas and hijab all the time. I used to wear hijab in class and remove the burqa," Muskan said.
"Hijab is a part of us. The principal never said anything. Outsiders have started this. The principal has advised us not to carry burqas. We will continue to protest for hijab. It is just a part of being a Muslim girl," she continued.
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The second-year commerce student told NDTV that her Hindu friends support her. "I feel safe… everyone has been telling us we are with you.”
The authorities in southern India ordered schools to shut on Tuesday as protests intensified over a ban on hijab that has outraged Muslim students.
The stand-off in Karnataka state has galvanized fears among the minority community about what they say is increasing persecution under the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reports AFP.
Fresh demonstrations on Tuesday saw officers fire tear gas to disperse a crowd at one government-run campus, while a heavy police presence was seen at schools in nearby towns.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai appealed for calm after announcing all high schools in the state would be closed for three days.
