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The coastal town of Udupi has been tense since the Hijab row broke out in December 2020. However, as the Karnataka elections approach, it seems both the BJP and the Congress are hesitant in raising the controversy as an election issue for fear of backlash from the electorate.
While the parties have been pushing the ‘development card’, the voters too may have a few aces up their sleeve.
Udupi falls in coastal Karnataka and is the stronghold of the BJP. In fact, the region is called the ‘Hindutva factory of the BJP’. Of the 19 assembly seats covering the three coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttar Kannada, the BJP has 16 MLAs who have won from this region.
BJP’s candidate and one of the 75 fresh faces fielded by the party in this election, Yashpal Suvarna is known to be the poster boy of the anti-Hijab campaign.
Suvarna emphatically states that Hijab is a ‘non-issue’. He says people want to see Udupi as the next educational, medical, and pilgrimage hub of Karnataka and not fall into the trap of controversies like Hijab which have been raked up by anti-social groups like the Popular Front of India (PFI).
“We are going to people and focusing on how BJP’s double-engine government can deliver the best for the voters. Hijab is not an election issue at all. The decision on a uniform was taken keeping in mind that all children should get equal education, equal opportunities and there should be uniformity. A group of anti-social elements tried to flare it up,” said Suvarna.
The Congress too has focused its campaign on exposing the BJP’s corrupt government and anti-people policies. The Congress candidate in Udupi is also a new entrant, Prasadraj Kanchan.
“It’s the political parties like BJP and SDPI that are trying to make Hijab an issue. People in coastal Karnataka feel they have more serious issues to be concerned with. They want a good government in the Centre and the state and that is what the Congress can provide,” said UT Khader, a senior Congressman and the incumbent MLA from Ullal constituency near Mangaluru.
Suvarna is very confident that the voters in his constituency will vote in his and the BJP’s favour.
“We (BJP) are part of an organisation to safeguard Hindutva. Hindutva is not an agenda, it is my duty. I am first a Hindu. Those who are against Hindutva and speak against my nation are not fit to be in India… Those who are creating the Hijab issue don’t want their women to get educated because the women will get to know what PM Narendra Modi and development mean,” he said.
However, Congress’ Khader counters this.
“People are clever. Minorities have decided not to fall prey to this foul play of the BJP. Whatever they try to rake up, nobody is bothered about such things. People, not only minorities, will vote against the BJP and see that the Congress comes to power and they can live a peaceful life,” he adds.
In December 2020, Udupi saw major unrest after a government girl’s pre-university college disallowed six Muslim girls to wear a Hijab (headscarf) while attending classes. Suvarna, the vice-president of the college development committee of the college, along with Udupi’s incumbent MLA Ragupati Bhat, made a ‘dress code’ compulsory for all students which included removing their Hijab while attending class.
However, on the ground in Udupi — which has over 2.16 lakh voters — the Hijab issue continues to simmer. Several voters News18 spoke to said while they would like to vote for a candidate who can give them good roads, resolve their water issues, and provide employment opportunities, Hijab will certainly be on their mind when they cast their ballot.
It’s been 16 months since Shaheen, a PUC student, was shaken up by the widespread protests in Udupi over Hijab.
As she expressed her views on the issue, she requested that she should not be photographed. “I felt fear while attending college wearing a Hijab. This time, I am a first-time voter in the Karnataka elections and Hijab will certainly be an important factor while casting my vote,” she said.
Shagufta, a mother of two, says Hijab is her right and nobody can forcibly demand a change in their attire. “It is part of our religion, our culture. Just like we do not comment or force any other community to dress, or behave in a particular way, we also expect the same freedom of choice to follow our religion,” she told News18.
Shaesta, Shagufta’s sister and also a mother of two, says she will keep in mind the issues that Udupi faced in the past couple of years, including the Hijab row, before exercising her franchise.
“We all should think thoroughly before we vote. We should take into consideration our future as well. Hijab is our right and just as Indians we hope to stay in harmony and respect. Hijab should not have become an issue and we should think carefully so that we don’t face issues in our future as well,” she told News18.
Namratha Shetty is another first-time voter and student. She thinks that the Hijab issue snowballed without reason and young voters like her should vote for a good leader who will deliver their best rather than harp on communal issues.
“The Hijab issue is not important in this election. The youth should focus on electing a strong young leader who will give us development and take Udupi forward,” Namratha said.
Vilasini Shetty, another PUC student, mirrors Namratha’s thoughts. She felt that the elections this time in Udupi may be thought in the shadow of the Hijab issue but for her, voting for a party and candidate who will develop Udupi into a world-class city is important.
“I would like to see my city grow like other metros and become an even bigger hub for education, banking, technology, and medical sciences. By talking about Hijab, we are going back 30 years. This election should be about voting for the right leader who will take Udupi 50 years ahead,” she said
Ansar Ahmed, a social activist working in Udupi, claims the hot issue was stoked by the BJP’s Yashpal Suvarna.
“Every Muslim voter will think about the Hijab row before voting. It is like snatching the right of Muslim women. No man will remain quiet when somebody tries to snatch the veil away, especially when it is embedded in our religious fabric. If a person touches the veil of a lady, she will raise her voice in protest, that is what is going to happen,” he points out.
Sharath, a fruit seller near Udupi’s market area, wants to vote for the party that will keep coastal Karnataka peaceful. “We are simple people who only want to live in peace and elect a government that will be beneficial to the people. Haven’t you heard of the killings of people from the RSS, BJP, and PFI? We want peace and my vote is for that candidate who can guarantee me that,” he said.
Haneef Muloor, SDPI’s candidate from Kaup, speaks of how Hijab is a Muslim woman’s constitutional right and they will fight for it till the end.
“Even if we win or lose in the election, we will continue our fight for our rights. It is a constitutional right to wear a Hijab. People should think about it in this election,” he said. The SDPI is contesting across 100 seats in Karnataka and the issues that they have been spearheading in their campaign have been the decisions taken by the BJP on Hijab, Halal, and removing reservation for Muslims.
“Our fight is a direct one with the BJP. The Congress has been telling people that if they vote for the SDPI, it will benefit the BJP and people don’t believe it.”
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