Manchester United footballer Paul Pogba tweeted on Thursday that “Hindutva mobs continue to harass Muslim girls wearing Hijab to college in India,” referring to protests in Karnataka over college students being denied the right to wear a hijab.
Pogba, a Frenchman whose mother is Muslim and who began practising Islam in 2019, shared a 58-second clip shared by the London-based Instagram account _islamismydeen_.
A large crowd of boys and men wearing (or waving) saffron scarves surrounds a small group of young girls wearing hijabs at the start of the video. As the dust rises from the scuffle, the mob, which at least numbers several dozen male individuals, can be heard shouting and chanting.
Only two police officers are visible, and a few other men appear to be holding hands to form a protective barrier around the girls.
The video then shows a young woman, presumably a teacher, cautiously unlatching a classroom door, which is then stormed by dozens of boys dressed in even more saffron scarves and cheering.
The third segment depicts yet more boys, now numbering in the hundreds, waving saffron flags, dancing, and cheering as they move down a street.
When and where each of the clips were shot is unknown.
Pogba isn’t the first international figure to highlight the hijab protests; Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai said on Wednesday that “refusing to let girls attend school in hijabs is horrifying.”
A storm of voices has erupted in support of (and against) both sides across the country, with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra among those who have spoken out.
Male students heckled a Muslim girl, shouting ‘Jai Shri Ram,’ at a college in Mandya district on Tuesday, escalating the situation. “Allah hu Akbar,” she shouted at the aggressors.
Two men were arrested in Kundapur the day before for carrying weapons near protesting students.
At least one right-wing fringe group, the Hindu Jagrana Vedike, has stoked protests against the demand to wear hijabs, which officials say can be worn in class but not during lessons.
Last month, six girls from Karnataka’s Udupi district raised concerns about Muslim students being barred from wearing the hijab. Since then, it has escalated into a major issue, with a petition being heard by the state’s High Court and the Supreme Court being approached.
The High Court will resume hearings on the case on Monday, but students have been advised to avoid wearing “religious garments” for the sake of “peace and tranquilly,” according to a contentious statement.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
