Hijab-wearing teacher alleges religious bias at Indian school
Muslim teacher says private school pressured her to remove hijab, fueling wider concerns over discrimination and workplace equality
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Allegations by a Muslim teacher in northern India that she was pressured to remove her hijab at a private school have triggered a wider debate over religious discrimination, workplace rights and treatment of Muslims in the country’s education sector.
Samreen Bano, a teacher from the city of Varanasi in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, shared videos on social media accusing a private school of objecting to her Islamic headscarf shortly after hiring her.
The videos quickly spread online, drawing strong reactions and reigniting discussions around religious freedom and the place of visible Muslim identity in Indian public life.
According to Samreen, she has repeatedly faced difficulties securing teaching jobs after employers discovered she was Muslim. In one video, she alleged that schools and even private families seeking tutors refused to hire her because of her religious identity.
She also claimed that anti-Muslim prejudice had become so normalized that some children appeared fearful of Muslim teachers before interacting with them.
“Our work is to teach children and help them respect every religion,” she said in one of the videos circulating online.
The controversy escalated after Samreen alleged that administrators at Buddha Public School asked her to remove her hijab or leave the job. She said no such condition was mentioned during the recruitment process and that objections were raised only after she arrived for work.
A separate video shared online appears to show a conversation between Samreen and an individual linked to the school administration. In the clip, she questions why her hijab should be treated differently from visible Hindu religious symbols such as sindoor — a red powder worn by many married Hindu women — and mangalsutra necklaces traditionally associated with Hindu marriage customs.
The person in the video responds that the issue concerns school policy and tells her she may work elsewhere if she disagrees with the rules.
At the time of reporting, the school had not issued a detailed public response addressing the allegations.
The incident has fueled renewed scrutiny over religious attire policies in Indian educational institutions, particularly involving Muslim women wearing hijabs.
Debates over the hijab have intensified in India in recent years, especially in states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); analysts accuse it of promoting policies and rhetoric hostile toward Muslims under the broader influence of Hindutva, the Hindu supremacist ideology associated with the RSS.
Rights groups and civil liberties advocates have repeatedly raised concerns over increasing restrictions affecting visible expressions of Muslim identity in schools, universities and workplaces.
Samreen argued that the school’s alleged demand violated constitutional protections related to freedom of religion and expression.
The case has also prompted wider online discussions about whether private educational institutions should be allowed to impose restrictions on religious attire without clearly stating such policies during hiring.
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