St Agnes College firm on dress code, says a few students were ‘instigated’ by CFI

Harsha Raj Gatty | coastaldigest.com news network
June 29, 2018

Mangaluru, Jun 29: Refusing to yield to the demands of the protesters, city-based St Agnes College has made it clear that the dress code was already specified, accepted by student and their parents during admission and there won’t be exception.

Earlier this week, a few Muslim students of the college under the aegis of the Campus Front of India, had staged a protest to exert pressure on the college authorities to allow them to wear headscarf as part of hijab inside classroom.

According to the college authorities, the protesting student had admitted to them that they were instigated by 'strangers' from the CFI to voice against the rules and norms of the college.

Speaking to the media, Principal of St Agnes College, Sr Dr Jeswina AC also clarified no action were taken against the protesting students, besides summoning their parents.

"None of the students were suspended, however we have asked them to give a 'explanation' in writing in the presence of their parents since the protest was carried out without prior permission," she said.

Dr Jeswina also added that following the protest, a lot of false propaganda have been floated against the college by certain instigators. 

"None of the students were touched or had their headscarf removed by any of our faculty. Neither we have taken their signature in blank papers, these rumours are absolutely baseless to malign the image of the college," she said.

Questioned on the religious headgear worn by Catholic nuns at the Educational institute, Dr Jeswina said that they allowed it, since it was a 'Uniform' for them and not an circumstantial/occasional attire. They have to wear it throughout day to night, she said.

Meanwhile, Naureen, Vice President of St Agnes Student Council, who is also a Muslim, said that the female students were instigated by a Whatsapp group 'Justice for Scarf and Namaz'. "Few days back even I was added to this group along with other Agnes students, but I did not appreciate the conversation and the context. Subsequently I  exited from the group. However my number was anonymously circulated I have been receiving wielded threats from an unidentified male from Saudi Arabia," she said.

Dr Jeswina added that in concern of Naureen's security they plan to file a complaint and share the number with Cyber cell. Meanwhile, the College authorities has already been provided round the clock security following the incident. 

Speaking to the media, Anees Sheikh, the father of a student, who had taken part in the protest, said that his daughter was unnecessarily dragged to the issue by CFI. "My daughter was just called by this group to discuss the matter outside college gate. But when the media arrived in the scene, she was pressurised to make a statement by CFI. Clearly instigated by them, my daughter made certain statements. At this age it is easy for children to fall for pressure of such groups. The matter is blown out of proportion, whereas I certainly feel that this is an internal matter and it can be resolved by the school management and administration," he said.

Also Read: 

Agnes Hijab row: Muslim girl claims ‘threat’ from Gulf; father slams CFI for ‘using’ his daughter

Mangaluru college downplays hijab row, says students were aware of dress code before admission

Mangaluru: Burkha-clad CFI girls protest in front St Agnes College over hijab ban

Comments

Navaz
 - 
Sunday, 1 Jul 2018

Why the double standard, when nun student can wear her headscarf because her religious choice, but Muslim student can't, let them wear a headscarf, by the way how about muslim student wear a same uniform as your nuns wearing in collage, Is is allowed ? Please clarify

Abdullah
 - 
Saturday, 30 Jun 2018

Dont give charity to these double standard nuns

Mohammed
 - 
Saturday, 30 Jun 2018

It’s very easy to pressurize student and their parents by the college, by threatening parents and student ruin their life by rusticating the student. As we have seen in “3 idiots” movie.

Now it Looks like college want to DIVERT THE ISSUE FROM HIJAB TO DEFAMING CFI. 

In press meet we can clearly make out the principal is acting in very submissive way, acting like VICTIM.

But WHY “PRINCIPAL IS DEFENDING HER RIGHT TO WEAR SCARF & SAME TIME STUDENT IS NOT ALLOWED TO WEAR THE SCARF….”  Why college has made such double standard rule in first place…?

You can THREATEN STUDENTs & THEIR PARENTS…. But your Hypocrisy is EXPOSED anyway….

Roshan Deen
 - 
Saturday, 30 Jun 2018

First of all please let me know in which version of the Bible it says not to marry and become Priests and Nuns. There is no priesthood Islam, so men and woman all have to follow its teaching. When Muslim woman wearing Hijab it is oppression But when Nun wear it is decoration. Why Priest are not made to cover their head like Nuns?.”.Read the below verse of Bible and know who is dominating who; If a woman does not cover her head, let her hair be cut off. And if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.… A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.…( 1 CORINTHIANS 11:6-9)

Nizanuddin
 - 
Saturday, 30 Jun 2018

if nuns wear hijab its religious Muslims wear it is fancy dress?  Hijab is part body women body.

Abdulbaseer
 - 
Friday, 29 Jun 2018

J C Lobo.......I agree with your comments. why this difference ?

Naren, its better you dont poke in b**dy nose here. this is matter between a bunch of bonafide indian citizens and the management of college, fighting for religous freedom 

 

give your suggestions to people like pumpwell, etc

Naren Kotian
 - 
Friday, 29 Jun 2018

Congrats to Naureen. Muslim girls like you are asset of the nation. Don’t hesitate to go and file complaint against those who issue you threats. They are jihadists. People like them had tried to kill Malala too. I am sure that you will face more threats in future from thirbokis. But believe me, the more threats you receive, the more you become stronger. 
Jai Hind

MK and NM
 - 
Friday, 29 Jun 2018

We were about to convince the college management to go soft on Muslim students and allow them to wear headscarf. But these protesters played spoilsport and politicized the issue. Now, muslim students of St Agnes college are extremely embarrassed because of the protest and subsequent developments. 

J C Lobo
 - 
Friday, 29 Jun 2018

Agree everything. But why differentiate between hijab of a Christian woman and Hijab of a Muslim woman? If headscarf is banned then Christian nuns/sisters also should not be allowed to cover their head.

Reader
 - 
Friday, 29 Jun 2018

Someone please convince this principal madam that Hijab is not occasion dress. Muslim girls supposed to wear it all the day. 

Mangalorean
 - 
Friday, 29 Jun 2018

Doodh ka doodh… paani ka paani

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News Network
May 23,2020

Bengaluru, May 23: SSLC and PUC students residing in containment zones will not be able to write the exams scheduled to be held in June and July, respectively, but will be given opportunity to write the supplementary examination and treated as fresh candidates.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar announced this at a press conference on Friday.

In turn, officials in the Department of Primary and Secondary Education will start collecting the list of students in containment zones. However, they are worried since the list of containment zones is dynamic and a particular locality can be declared a containment zone even the night before the examination.

“If any examination centre is located in the containment zone, then we can change the centre and move it to a non-containment zone. However, if a student resides in a zone that is declared containment zone just before the exam, there is no option but for the person to skip the exam,” an official said.

Officials of the department are worried about another scenario as well. “There is a chance that midway through the examination, an area is becomes a containment zone. Then some students may write a few papers and give the rest a miss. Implementation at the district- and block-levels will be a challenge,” said an official.

Sources said that the department is working out several situations that may arise and trying to work on providing practical solutions to the students.

Around 5.98 lakh students have registered for the second pre-university English examination that is scheduled to be held on June 18. As many as 8.48 lakh students have registered for the SSLC examination scheduled to be held between June 25 and 4 July. Currently, there are 261 containment zones in Karnataka that have 5.49 lakh people residing in these zones.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Secondary Education and Examination Board has decided to ensure that only 18 students are seated in a classroom to write the SSLC examination. This is to ensure that social distancing is maintained in the exam hall.

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coastaldigest.com news network
April 17,2020

The unexpected lockdown to prevent spread of covid–19 has caused a serious damage to the lives of Indian expatriates irrespective of laborers and entrepreneurs in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Different stories of expatriates' ordeals are emerging from the region. 

Abdul Razaq, hailing from Udupi in Karnataka has been running small scale business at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, based on oil refinery projects of the government. He was undergoing medical treatment for his cancer which is in fist stage. He explaines his ordeals caused by lockdown and stopping the flight facility. 

“I was regularly visiting home country for the treatment of cancer. Now I cannot go as international flight service has been stopped. I expect that government will hear problems of expatriates and will arrange facilities to take us back to home”, he said.

Mubeen from Bengaluru was working on temporary basis  for a company in Jubail. He had lost his jobs like some of his colleagues due to the lockdown.

“As everything was alright, I had brought my parents recently to Saudi Arabia on a visit visa. Things changed drastically with covid-19 attack. Continuous lockdown caused burden over the company and they removed temporary employees like me to control possible losses” he said.

“Now owner of the flat has been harassing me for the rent. I do not have money either to pay rent or to cover daily family expenses. I do not know what to do further”, he added. 

Iqbal from Mangaluru left for Saudi Arabia to help his family. He got a job in a juce centre in Dammam recently. Corona lockdown made his life difficult. He is eager to return his home country. 

“I came to Saudi Arbia because of financial difficulties as I had not found any job with good salary there. I thought I can earn well by going to Saudi Arabia. However, here too the salary was not so good. Now juice center is closed due to lockdown and sponsor is giving very small amount of money as salary through which we cannot afford our expenses and our families back in home,” he said.

“Here It is not easy get help of fellow Indians since most of them have their own ordeals. I would like to return home country; there however we can manage to get help of friends and relatives. I am looking forward the help of Indian government to start air facility for stranded NRIs,” he said. 

Mohsin from Mysuru is a taxi driver in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. He was earning on commission basis. Now Saudi government banned movement of taxis in the region, which pushed him and his fellow taxi drivers into trouble.

“We were earning commissions daily on the basis of trips. Now we cannot move outside with taxi since it may cause us to pay the fine of SR.10000. How can I manage my expenses and family members in home?”, he asked.

There are cases of pregnant women who have to return India for delivery. Those who brought family here on visit visa will not have insurance. Delivery charges and any kind of medical facilities without insurance in Saudi Arabia is very expensive. Expatriate Indians with such problems are awaiting government's help.

“I had brought my wife on one year visit visa. Now she is pregnant and I have to send her back to home for delivery. If lockdown continues, it is difficult to send back and we have to spend big amounts for delivery without insurance. It is a big burden to me as I work for small salary in a company”, said Yunus from Hyderabad, who is living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Lockdown is haunting even entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia. Most of expatriates in the industrial hub of Jubail are doing business based on Saudi Government’s oil refinery projects. Saudi Arabia temporarily stopped most of the projects as part of public health safety measures to maintain social distance. 

“We are doing business based on oil refinery projects. Now projects are stopped. We brought around 1100 people on work permit visa on temporary basis. And also, we have around 1200 permanent workers. It is a big burden to provide them with food, accommodation and salary. It may cause a big loss for our company”, said owner of expatriates company, Sheikh Mohammed.

Saudi Arabia had reported first corona virus affected case in March 2, 2020. At the end of March, it was 1600 and now it already corssed 6000. Saudi Health ministry has cautioned the number of affected people may rise 10000 to 200,000 and directed for more precautionary measures. In such case, the Indian expatriates may have to face crisis in the region. 

Indian expatriate organizations are demanding for immediate intervention of Indian government to ensure better quarantine facility and treatment of NRIs in Saudi Arabia as the cases are increasing rapidly. The condition of laborers in some of the camps are such that seven to eight people should share a single bed room. 

“Normally if there is a flat, it will consist three to four bed rooms. In single bedroom companies will provide three four bunk beds and six to eight people should share the room. In such cases, if a person affected with virus it will spread quickly to others. Thus, Indian government should ensure quarantine facility for NRIs”, says Wasim Rabbani, president of Indian Social Forum, Eastern Region, Saudi Arabia. 

President of Karnataka Non Residential Indians, A forum for the NRI organizations of Karnataka, Zakaria Muzain says Indian Government should immediately interfere to bring back those stranded NRIs who wish to return home. Government should intervene to pressure Indian embassy to take the issues of troubled expatriates. 

“Government should make special flight arrangement for such NRIs in trouble. It should also arrange quarantine facility for those who return to India. Already there are many Non-Governmental charity organization which have come forward to give their facilities for NRIs”, he said. 

NRIs from all categories are looking forward for the help of Indian government. It is important to Indian government to take quick action as the problem is increasing in Saudi Arabia.

Comments

Althaf
 - 
Monday, 20 Apr 2020

Help from modi government is a nightmare 

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 25,2020

Bengaluru, May 25: Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds that lashed Bengaluru last evening left hundreds of trees uprooted near the BTM layout and other areas.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a thunderstorm accompanied with lightning in Karnataka for the next five days.

"Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning at will prevail at isolated places over Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, South Interior Karnataka, Kerala and Mahe and Tamilnadu, Puducherry and Karaikal," the IMD said its All Indian Weather Forecast Bulletin.

According to the forecasting agency, due to strong southerly wind from the Bay of Bengal to northeast India at lower tropospheric levels, heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy falls likely at isolated places over parts of northeastern states.

In addition to that heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over adjoining parts of east India during 24th-28th. "Heavy rainfall at isolated places over parts south peninsular India from May 26th-28th, 2020," the IMD said its All Indian Weather Forecast Bulletin.

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