Indian college revokes burqa ban after students’ hunger strike
Burqa ban at Mumbai college sparks protests and hunger strike; six Muslim students face criminal charges as rights groups warn of rising repression
MUMBAI, India (MNTV) — A college in India’s financial capital Mumbai revoked its ban on the burqa and niqab after a group of Muslim female students launched a hunger strike, accusing the administration of violating their constitutional right to religious freedom.
The dispute highlights growing tensions around clothing restrictions targeting Muslim women in educational institutions across India.
The controversy began earlier this week when the management of Vivek Vidyalaya and Junior College in suburb Goregaon West issued a circular prohibiting students from entering classrooms in burqas or niqabs, instructing them to remove face coverings at the gate and wear only the hijab. The sudden rule, students said, shocked many who had worn the burqa for years without issue.
When multiple complaints to the administration failed to reverse the decision, students staged a sit-in outside the gate before beginning a hunger strike, drawing local attention and support from community organizations. The college initially refused to back down, despite pressure from students, parents and activists.
The Students Islamic Organization (SIO) condemned the ban as discriminatory, arguing that it specifically targeted Muslim women and violated Articles 14, 15 and 25 of the Indian Constitution guaranteeing equality and religious freedom.
Members of the organization said the policy attempted to police Muslim identity under the guise of dress-code regulation.
On Thursday afternoon, as protests continued, the college withdrew the ban. However, police simultaneously registered a criminal case against six female students — three of them unidentified — accusing them of unlawful assembly and protesting without official permission. A police officer said the students were booked after they “argued with personnel” who asked them to end the protest.
Rights advocates say filing criminal charges against young women for peacefully demanding the right to wear religious clothing reflects a broader pattern in India, where Muslim students advocating for the hijab or burqa increasingly face disciplinary action, legal cases or violence.
The incident follows a series of high-profile hijab disputes, including a 2022 ban in Karnataka that prevented Muslim girls from attending classes in headscarves and gained international condemnation.
Observers say the latest episode underscores heightened tensions over religious identity under the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party government, amid wider concerns about shrinking civil liberties and the marginalization of minorities.
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