secularism??

A muslim girl in a Mangalore school has recently been debarred from attending school because she refused to comply with the rules which forbid the wearing of burqa to the classroom. the girl in a series of press interviews has stated that" religion is more important than education" and the English media has been splashing it in front pages and branding it as a prohibition of practise of free faith in a secular country.
its interesting how an issue can be profected in a perverted light to whip up sentiments in the garb of "secularism"..lets examine a few detals

the prohibition of exhibition of such aspects of one's faith is a basic tenet of the rule and regulations of the school. one gains admission to it only after acceptance of following these ascribed rules. further the rules apply acroos religious divide.devotees of Lord Ayappa are also forbidden to wear their traditional attire to the classroom.

A number of Muslim girls attend the school without wearing burqa. This just goes on th show that the demostration of one's religion and its external facets have their places and an institution is not one of them.

Just as the wearing of burqa is a matter of personal faith,it also needs to be noted ,that there are several implications of the same in a multi-ehtnic multi-religious society of India in general, and Coastal Karnataka[being highly communally sensitive] in general. It is thus only correct that rigidity in matters of faith deem confinement in such educational institutions where as the protagonist says"religion is more important than education" like madrasas. In an educatuional insitution which lays focus on the imparting of knowledge, such practises should find no place.

It is sad that our intellectia has successfully managed to distort the the mind set of the society through the media.The whole issue does not deserve mention.In today's progressive and evolutionary world we ought not have any place for dogmas and their whinings.

I wish to end with the words that the principal of the school wrote to the student " i have deep regard for your courage and dare to stand up for your religion. i only wish you use the same for more important issues like national integration and social welfare"
food for thought..???