• Source:JND
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Mumbai News: Female students of Vivek Vidyalaya & Junior College in Goregaon West staged a hunger strike on Thursday after the institute enforced a ban on wearing the burqa on campus. The demonstrators gathered outside the college, alleging that the restriction was imposed without prior notice and had caused distress among several students.

The protest drew support from AIMIM Women’s Wing vice-president Jahnara Sheikh, who said the students had attempted to meet the college authorities before deciding to protest. “We initially tried to speak with the college management and never intended to stage a protest. We spoke to the management… We urge the college administration to maintain discipline while ensuring that the education of the girls is not disrupted,” she told IANS.

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One of the students said the rule had never been communicated during admission. “We want permission to wear burqas. We were not informed about the restriction in advance; otherwise, we would not have taken admission here,” she said.

A male protester added that students were denied access to the campus despite requesting a meeting about the ban. “We were advised to speak with the Principal. When we went to meet the Principal, the gates were closed, and we were told that we would not be allowed inside,” he claimed.

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The dispute comes weeks after a similar controversy in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, where a parent demanded that a church-run school allow a student to wear the hijab. That incident escalated when a group tried to enter the campus in support of the request, prompting objections from the school’s parent-teacher association. The Kerala High Court later directed police to ensure the safety and functioning of the institution.

The Mumbai college has not issued an official statement yet, and the protest is expected to continue until students receive clarity on the rule.

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