Srinagar – The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Tuesday wrote to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, seeking his immediate intervention in an alleged case of religious discrimination against Kashmiri female students at a nursing college in Bengaluru.
The students, who wear the hijab or burkha in line with their religious beliefs, have reportedly been barred from attending classes and threatened with expulsion by Sri Soubhagya Lalitha College of Nursing, affiliated with Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS).
In its letter, JKSA expressed deep concern over the alleged harassment and humiliation faced by the students, who have been denied access to classrooms and practical sessions for several days.
“These Kashmiri female students have been systematically targeted and denied their fundamental right to education solely for wearing the burkha or abaya, which is an expression of modesty and identity rooted in their religious beliefs,” the letter stated.
According to JKSA National Convenor Nasir Khuehami, a recent incident saw the college chairman enter a classroom and order hijab-wearing students to leave. When the students sought clarification, they were reportedly told, “This is our college; only our rules apply.”
The chairman and principal allegedly threatened to terminate the students and withhold their academic records if they continued wearing the hijab. They were informed they would not be allowed into the college unless they removed their religious attire, despite the absence of any official policy or legal grounds supporting such a ban.
“They were told to follow so-called university rules prohibiting hijab and burkha, although no such regulation exists under Indian law,” Khuehami said.
The college management reportedly justified the ban by claiming objections from other students and asserted that “hijab and pardah are not allowed for medical students anywhere in the country, not even in Kashmir.” The chairman allegedly went further, stating that “no article or fundamental right is applicable in our college.”
Khuehami condemned these statements as “absurd, Islamophobic stereotypes” and described the actions of the college administration as a direct violation of fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.
The letter cited Articles 25 (freedom of religion), 15 (prohibition of discrimination), and 21A (right to education), asserting that forcing students to choose between their faith and education is both “unconscionable and unconstitutional.”
Highlighting the emotional and psychological toll on the affected students, Khuehami said, “It is both heartbreaking and enraging that students from a conflict-affected region, who came to Karnataka in pursuit of education, are now subjected to trauma and humiliation.”
JKSA warned that the incident sends “a chilling message” to minority students across the country, suggesting their religious identity could make them unwelcome in educational institutions.
Appealing to Karnataka’s progressive legacy, the association invoked the inclusive visions of Basavanna, Devaraj Urs, and poet Kuvempu. “If left unaddressed, this incident risks undermining that legacy and turning learning spaces into arenas of exclusion and fear,” the letter stated.
The association noted that hundreds of Kashmiri students have chosen Karnataka for its academic excellence and cultural tolerance. Such incidents, it warned, erode the trust of the student community.
JKSA called on the Chief Minister to take swift and decisive action, demanding that the students be allowed to resume classes without pressure to remove their hijabs. It urged the state’s Education Department, RGUHS, and the Minority Commission to conduct a thorough investigation, hold the college accountable, and issue clear directives to prevent such discrimination.
“This is an opportunity for Karnataka to reaffirm its commitment to justice, dignity, and inclusivity. Whether from Bengaluru or Baramulla, all students must feel safe, valued, and protected,” the letter concluded.
