AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A dispute over hijab and the enforcement of dress rules at Cachar College in Assam has escalated into a confrontation between student groups, with Muslim students and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) alleging that members of the far right Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) assaulted students wearing hijab during a campus membership drive.
ABVP members also raised slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram” and reportedly turned physical and assaulted Muslim students for wearing hijab.
The confrontation came as the college administration moved towards stricter enforcement of its existing dress code, amid objections from some students and groups over religious attire on campus.
According to students present at the time, the confrontation began at an NSUI membership camp after some ABVP members objected to Muslim students wearing hijab. What began as an argument reportedly turned physical, with several students allegedly pushed and assaulted.
A Muslim student, speaking to local media, said ABVP members initially argued that the college was an educational space where religion should not be brought into campus affairs. However, she alleged that some members subsequently raised slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram.”
The student further alleged that ABVP members questioned why Muslim students were wearing hijab and suggested that allowing the practice could eventually lead to students offering prayers on campus.
She rejected the argument, saying Muslim students had not objected when Hindu religious ceremonies such as pooja were conducted on college premises. She also denied allegations that students were using headphones beneath their hijabs.
“If there are concerns about what students are carrying or wearing, the college can put in place proper checking procedures,” the student said, suggesting that such checks could also be conducted before examinations.
The dispute reportedly intensified on the second day of the NSUI membership campaign. According to the student, the campaign had received permission from the college principal, but ABVP members allegedly asked NSUI workers to stop the drive and leave the premises.
She alleged that members of the group attempted to take away the membership register. When NSUI workers pointed out that the principal had approved the campaign, the situation allegedly escalated, with one student’s hijab being pulled and several students allegedly pushed and assaulted.
Male students were also attacked during the confrontation, according to the student.
The incident came a day after a group of students submitted a memorandum to the Cachar district administration seeking restrictions on religious clothing, including hijabs and skullcaps, on the college campus.
The college administration has since indicated that it intends to enforce its existing uniform rules. Principal Dr Apratim Nag said the institution would make efforts to ensure compliance with the prescribed dress code.
Under the college’s stated uniform requirements, male students are expected to wear shirts and trousers, while female students are required to wear salwar-kameez or churidar-kameez with a dupatta in the prescribed manner.
The NSUI has alleged that political influence was being used to protect those responsible for the violence.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and the circumstances surrounding the confrontation remain under investigation.
The dispute has nevertheless brought the question of religious attire at Cachar College into sharper focus, with the administration facing pressure to balance enforcement of its uniform rules with concerns raised by students.
Two days after the incident, Algapur-Katlicherra MLA and Assam Pradesh Youth Congress president Zubair Anam Mazumder intervened in the controversy, calling for stronger security measures for students at and around Cachar College.
Mazumder, accompanied by Youth Congress representatives, met Cachar Senior Superintendent of Police P.P. Das and submitted a memorandum seeking enhanced security arrangements for students in the area.
He also stressed that the college’s uniform rules should be enforced uniformly for all students and should not be applied in a manner that discriminates against any particular community.
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