BAGALKOT: A pall of gloom descended in Mahalingapura as social worker Ibrahim Sutar, 82, who is popularly known as ‘Kabir of Kannada’, breathed his last after suffering a severe cardiac arrest in the wee hours on Saturday, February 5, 2022.

Grieving family members said, “Ibrahim Sutar was ailing from diabetes and hypertension for the past few years. He complained about heartache on Friday. The doctor recommended an angioplasty. While he was being taken to the hospital, he breathed last on the way.”

He is survived by a wife, two children and grandchildren.

The family has made all the necessary arrangements for the public to pay their last respects at Mahatma Gandhi grounds in Mahalingapura. The final rites are likely to be performed on Sunday, according to the relatives.

The Union Government recognized his social work towards spreading social and communal harmony and awarded him the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, in 2018.

Ibrahim Sutar was known to spread harmony through his songs and bhajans, which were popular not only in Karnataka but also in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Delhi and Goa. He is popular among the masses in the districts of North Karnataka for his spiritual discourses.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Minister for Water Resources Govind Karjol condoled the passing away of Ibrahim Sutar.

BENGALURU: Seeking to end the hijab (head scarf) controversy in education institutions in Karnataka that has begun taking political colour, the State government on Saturday ordered banning wearing clothes which disturb equality, integrity and public order in schools and colleges.

“Invoking 133 (2) of the Karnataka Education Act-1983, which says a uniform style of clothes has to be worn compulsorily. The private school administration can choose a uniform of their choice,” the government order said.

It said the students have to wear the dress chosen by the College Development Committee or the appellate committee of the administrative board of the pre-university colleges, which come under the pre-university education department.

“In the event of administrative committee not selecting a uniform, clothes which disturb equality, integrity and public law and order should not be worn,” the order said.

The government order noted that the KEA-1983 had explained that all students should wear a common uniform so that they should belong to a common family and behave in a manner that there is no discrimination.

The order also said that the second pre-university or the 12th standard is crucial for the students in their life.

A common programme has been chalked out for all the schools and colleges in the state for the benefit of students, the order said.

“However, the education department has noticed that in some education institutions, the boys and girls have started behaving according to their religion, which hurts the equality and unity,” it added.

The order also cited the rulings of Supreme Court and various High Courts in India in favour of uniform.

Initially the controversy was restricted to Udupi and Chikkamagaluru in the beginning of January as Muslim girls started attending classes wearing Hijab.

In protest, the Hindu students started attending classes wearing saffron scarves around their neck.

Gradually the issue spread to other parts of the state where Muslim girls demanded permission to attend classes wearing head scarves.

The issue of Hijab had snowballed into a major controversy with political parties striving to derive mileage over it.

While the Congress leaders backed Hijab, the BJP said it will not allow ‘Talibanisation’ of education institutions.

Congress Legislature Party leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has thrown his weight behind Muslim girls on their right to wear the hijab to educational institutions, accused the BJP and RSS of trying to create communal disharmony throughout the State in the name of Hijab.

He urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to immediately put a brake to this and arrest those who instigate people.

Further claiming that the main agenda of the Sangh Parivar is to deny education to Muslim girls in the name of Hijab, Siddaramaiah said, “PM Narendra Modi speaks about ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padao’. Is he not aware of this incident?”

“The Constitution has given the right to practice any religion which means one can wear any clothes according to their religion. Prohibiting ‘Hijab’ wearing students from entering school is a violation of fundamental rights,” he added.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP’s state president and Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel said the government will not allow hijab at educational institutions and will take strict measures to ensure that things go as per rules of the school, and won’t let things be turned into “Taliban like”.

“There is a BJP government in this state, there is no room for hijab or any other related incidents. Schools are temples of mother Saraswathi (goddess of education); everyone should abide by rules and regulations there. Bringing religion there is not right, what students need is education, if someone can’t follow rules they can choose their path elsewhere,” he said.

Kateel also hit out at Siddaramaiah accusing him of bringing in divisive policies like celebrating Tipu jayanti and schemes like ‘Shadi Bhagya’ among others aimed at creating rift between the communities, when he was CM.

With the issue snowballing into a major controversy and the matter coming up before the High Court, Chief Minister Bommai on Friday held a meeting with Law and Education departments, and the government has asked educational institutions to follow existing uniform related rules, until the Court comes out with an order in this regard, next week.

The Karnataka High Court on February 8 will hear the petitions filed by five girls studying in a Government Pre-university College in Udupi, questioning hijab restriction in college.

JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, hitting out at both the BJP and Congress for the controversy, said instead of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padao’, they are trying to make it “Beti Hatao”, “they should stop it.

” He asked the government to maintain the status quo at institutions where hijab was allowed till now, and not to allow it at places where it has started recently. Instead of Hindu-Muslim issue, children being used for such thing is more dangerous,” he added.

Calling hijab row, a systematic conspiracy, Kannada and Culture Minister V Sunil Kumar said, hijab or burka can be worn from home to college premises, but on entering classrooms everyone should wear uniform and it is the system.

VIJAYAPURA:  The district became only one in North Karnataka and second in the State to achieve 100 per cent vaccination in both the doses against the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the state health bulletin, “The district health authorities have administered first dose of vaccine to over 17.04 lakh people against the target of 16.34 lakh. With this, the first dose of vaccination rate stands at 105 per cent. With regard to the second dose, the district has vaccinated overall 16.34 lakh people, achieving 100 percent.”

“Bengaluru Rural is the only other district in the State to have achieved 100 per cent vaccination. However, over 12 districts have jabbed over 90 per cent of the eligible people with both the doses. The state vaccination rate for first dose stands at 101 per cent and for second dose at 88 per cent,” as per the bulletin.

The Covid vaccination drive kick-started in the district in January, 2021. According to previous population census held in 2011, the district administration had set a target of inoculating 16.34 lakh people. However, at present 17.54 lakh people have been vaccinated with the first dose.

The district administration paced up the second dose vaccination after the vaccination mela launched on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on September 16, 2021. The district managed to achieve 100 per cent vaccination with both doses in just over one year.

DC P Sunil Kumar said “With the efforts of health personnel, Asha workers and staff of other departments, the district administration has achieved cent per cent target of vaccination with both doses to all the eligible people in the district. ”

BENGALURU/MANGALURU: Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Thursday said students should neither wear hijab (headscarf) nor saffron shawls to schools and colleges, and stressed that they should wear only the prescribed uniform. His remarks come amid a row over some students of a government PU college in Udupi wearing the hijab in classrooms. In another incident, girl students of a government PU college in Kundapur, who reached the institution wearing the hijab on Thursday, were stopped at the gate.

Addressing the media here, Jnanendra said educational institutions should overcome the barriers of religion and caste and promote the feeling that all are one. Religious practices should be followed in places of worship like temples, churches and mosques. In educational institutions, students should have the feeling of oneness and there should be an academic atmosphere for students to develop a culture of national unity and integrity, he stressed.

“No one should come to school for practicing their religion,” he said, while responding to a question on students wearing saffron shawls as a counter to a few students wearing the hijab. He said he has directed the police to keep an eye on fundamental organisations and to take stern action against those who disturb unity.

The issue has caught national attention with former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor slamming the authorities. Mehbooba, who also sports a hijab, said, “Beti bachao-beti padhao is yet another hollow slogan. Muslims are being denied the right to education simply because of their attire. Legitimising the marginalisation of Muslims is one more step towards converting Gandhi’s India into Godse’s India.”

Tharoor tweeted, “It’s been a strength of India that everyone is free to wear what they want. If the hijab is disallowed, what about the Sikh turban? The Hindu’s forehead mark? The Christian’s crucifix? This college is going down a slippery slope. Let the girls in. Let them study. Let them decide.”

Davanagere: Members of the Hindu Jagaran Vedike (HJV) on Thursday staged a protest in front of the DC’s office in Davanagere, urging the government to give directions on wearing of uniforms across all schools and colleges in the state. In a memorandum to the government submitted through DC Mahantesh Bilagi, the activists said the adamant attitude of some Muslim girls over wearing of hijab and attending classes cannot be tolerated, as it is a fundamentalist mindset. Educational institutions are centres where religion, caste and other factors are not given preference, and proper dress code and uniform will bring equality among students.

“A section of society is stating that wearing of hijab is a right provided by the Constitution, this is wrong. The same Constitution states that all residents of India are equal, hence there shouldn’t be dress difference between Hindus and Muslims,” they said.