At least 58 female students from a college in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district were suspended on Saturday for wearing hijab and also staging an agitation demanding that they should be allowed to attend classes.

The students were from Government Pre-University College of Shiralakoppa.

According to the principal, the college management, development committee tried to explain to the hijab-clad students the interim order of the High Court but they did not listen and pressed for wearing of hijab.

Hence, they were suspended from the college temporarily.

The Karnataka High Court has issued an interim order restraining students from wearing hijab or any other form of religious dress in schools and colleges that have prescribed uniform.

Widespread protests have been witnessed against the ban on hijab in schools and colleges in Karnataka./MM

Tumakuru: An English lecturer working as a guest faculty has resigned from her post as she was asked to shun the hijab while teaching in Tumakuru district of Karnataka on Friday. “It is a matter of my self-respect. I can’t teach without the hijab,” the lecturer Chandini said after quitting.

“Since three years I am working in Jain PU College as a guest lecturer. In these three years I did not have any problem and I worked normally with ease. But, yesterday my Principal called me and told me that classes must be conducted without a hijab or any religious symbols. Since the last three years, I am lecturing wearing a hijab, it hurt my self-respect and I didn’t want to work in that college anymore. Hence, I resigned voluntarily,” she stated.

In her resignation letter Chandini has said that she is resigning as she was asked to remove her hijab which she has been wearing for three years in the college. “Right to religion is a constitutional right which nobody can deny.” She stated that, “I condemn your undemocratic act.”

The college authorities refused to comment on the issue.

Meanwhile, many netizens who came across her resignation letter have raised questions over the lecturer’s language skills.

The hijab row in Karnataka has turned into a major controversy. Across the state, students have started to agitate and protest against the decision of college managements to deny permission to attend classes while wearing a hijab. A special bench constituted by the High Court is hearing the matter and the government has stated that after the verdict, it will come out with a specific rule regarding wearing of hijab.– IANS

BENGALURU / MYSURU: Police on Friday lodged an FIR against students seeking entry into the college despite an interim order from the Karnataka High Court, after the first disciplinary action banned the wearing of hijab, saffron shawls or any religious attire inside the classroom. 20 students of Tumakuru College accused of violating the ban.

A historic private college in the city of Mysore on Friday revoked its uniform rule for Muslim students to attend classes with hijab. The first college in the state took such a decision. “Four students refused to go to class without hijab and protested,” said DK Srinivas Murthy, DDPU, Mysore. “Some organizations have increased their support. I visited the college today and talked to everyone. Meanwhile, the college has announced that it is repealing its uniform rules to allow students to attend classes. ”
The first FIR follows a warning from Karnataka Home Minister Araga Gyanendra, who said there would no longer be a “soft spot” and directed the police to take action against those who disobeyed the interim order. The principal of Tumakuru Express College, about 70 km from Bangalore, has lodged a complaint with the Tumakuru City Police against the students for violating the ban in the last two days.

After the hijab, the students went on strike demanding the right to go to class and caused a commotion in the college. In Kodagu, about 250 km from Bangalore, Muslim male students at Field Marshal KM Kariyappa College in Madikeri said they would not enter the campus unless hijab-wearing girls were allowed inside. The hijab spread to more colleges in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on Friday – Milgrace College, Kalyanpur, Udupi, Kavur First Grade College in Mangalore and Government First Grade College in Dakshina Kannada Puttur Taluk. Jidekallur government has declared a first class college holiday after three students refused to take off their hijabs.
Opposition leader Siddaramaiah had requested CM Bomai a day after the government issued a circular to revoke the ban on hijab in minority organizations./Times of India

Opposition MLAs on Friday staged a protest in Kerala assembly. They raised the “RSS governor go back” slogan against the state’s governor Arif Mohammad Khan.

As Khan began his policy speech to mark the start of the budget session, the opposition echoed a protest and raised slogans such as, “RSS governor go back”. However, he continued his opening address despite the opposition staging a walkout from the assembly

MLAs were carrying the placards, which said “Government-Governor unholy nexus” and that the Governor signed the Lok Ayukta ordinance to protect Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Opposition parties have criticised the aforementioned ordinance saying that it would weaken the anti-corruption watchdog./  Muslim Mirror  

 A series of religious laws promoted by India’s ruling Hindu nationalist party in the southern state of Karnataka, including a ban on the wearing of hijabs, is raising concerns the divisive measures will stoke sectarian tensions more prevalent in the country’s north.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently banned wearing the hijab in classrooms in Karnataka, the only one of India’s five southern states it rules. A proposal to make religious conversions largely illegal is being considered by the local legislature.

The moves have become an issue of contention involving India’s Muslim minority. Opposition parties and many political analysts accuse the BJP of fomenting tensions in Karnataka to consolidate its appeal to majority Hindus, like they say it has elsewhere in the country.

Modi’s office did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

The BJP has denied that Karnataka’s Feb. 5 hijab ban, a recent bill aimed at mainly preventing conversion of poor Hindus to Christianity and Islam, and a 2021 law prohibiting the slaughter of cows – considered sacred in Hinduism – were designed to pander to the majority community.

“The hijab controversy started as a very localised issue that could have been nipped in its bud”, said Sandeep Shastri, a political scientist who has taught in Karnataka.

“I’m keeping my fingers crossed as to what would be the repercussions of a verdict on the issue,” Shastri added, referring to a petition in the high court seeking to overturn the hijab ban.

“Is it going to further damage the social fabric in the state?”

Karnataka’s capital is the cosmopolitan hub Bengaluru, a city of about 12 million people that is the centre of India’s booming IT industry.

The school ban on the hijab – the traditional covering of the hair and neck worn by Muslim women – fanned protests by some Muslim students and parents around Karnataka earlier in the month. There were some counter protests by Hindu students draped in saffron-coloured shawls, usually worn by Hindus.

There was no violence but such tensions are a hot-button issue in India, where Muslims account for about 13% of the country’s 1.35 billion people. India has experienced several deadly Hindu-Muslim riots since independence in 1947, but hardly any of them in the south.

BJP‘s Karnataka spokesperson Ganesh Karnik blamed Muslims for seeking what he called a different identity by insisting on wearing the hijab in class, and said the dispute could unite Hindus.

“They look at every issue as a victim,” said Karnik. “If they take a stand, the Hindu community will also take a stand. Our young girls and boys will be disturbed (thinking) why are they being given a special privilege?”

He said the BJP was confident of retaining power in Karnataka state elections next year and then expanding further in the region.

“We are expanding, we will rule more southern states. If not today, tomorrow, if not tomorrow, the day after,” Karnik said.

In Uttar Pradesh state in the north, home to more than 200 million people and the bellwether of national politics, a long-running dispute between Hindus and Muslims over a religious site has become the central issue in ongoing state elections in which Modi’s BJP is seeking to retain power.

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Muzaffar Assadi, a political analyst who teaches at Karnataka’s University of Mysore, said the hijab issue targets youth who would be 18 and eligible to vote in time for next year’s state election and the national election, which is due in 2024.

“They are potential voters, so you just rake up the issue, create a wedge and ultimately you have a base for the next election,” said Assadi.

Muslims say the hijab row is another example of their marginalisation since Modi first took office in 2014 on a platform of good governance and a strong Hindu identity.

Modi has defended his record and says his economic and social policies benefit all Indians.

Analysts and opposition leaders say the vitiated political environment in Karnataka could dent Bengaluru’s appeal as a favoured destination for migrants and expatriates.

“Karnataka is a very diverse state and people have lived here in harmony for long,” said Abdul Majeed, state chief of the Social Democratic Party of India that mainly fights for Muslim causes.

“But electoral politics is threatening communal harmony day by day. In this age of social media, everyone is watching what is happening in Karnataka.”/ euro news 

Social Justice Day around the world is celebrated Feb. 20, under the theme: "Achieving Social Justice through formal employment."

But social justice is under attack in several countries between the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel zone with disparities that undermine the rights of populations due to various conflicts.

For the UN, transition to formal employment is a necessary condition for poverty reduction, inequality, work advancement, productivity and sustainability and expanding the scope of government action in times of crisis.

Nevertheless, the scourges are exactly what many social justice advocates deplore in countries between the Lake Chad Basin, the Sahel and their neighbors.

The informal sector is a gendered terrain in Africa where 84% of women are informally employed, compared to 63% of men, giving the continent the highest rate of informally employed women in the world, according to the African Union (AU).

In some cases, as in Togo, "the government should try harder as soon as possible in the informal economy’s inclusion in its priorities regarding the extension of social protection to workers in these sectors of activity," according to Kera Hodabalo, a leader in the country’s worker’s confederation.

This area is left behind, yet it contributes to 36% of national GDP and provides more than 90% of jobs in Togo, he told Anadolu Agency.

“All Togolese should feel concerned about the sustainable development’s process. Social justice is certainly a priority for authorities but it must be recognized that their ability to extend its application and compliance has always posed a problem," he said.

Hodabalo said despite notable progress in gender equality and freedom of expression, there is still much to do.

"This particularly in terms of protection and security of social strata. It is good that the government is already trying through its National Development Program (PND) to strengthen the population’s development and create more jobs to absorb young people, but much remains to be done to reduce unemployment among young graduates," he added.

The Citizens Coalition for the Sahel, a diverse and informal alliance of civil society organizations, believes that to date, government interventions have not been commensurate with the magnitude of the human security crisis in the Sahel and that national and international actors have not effectively addressed the conflict’s root or people’s needs.

Anti-development crises

In Mali, citizens are suffering from an embargo imposed by the African and international communities because of the lack of a democratic post-transition electoral timetable expected from the junta.

In addition to trade difficulties caused by the closure of borders with certain sub-regional neighbors, the progress of humanitarian projects and jobs have been impacted.

"Activities are not easy because of the embargo. Currently, I am technically unemployed. I was working on the project of migration management and promotion of free movement in West Africa. This project is totally stopped for the moment and we are looking for other opportunities. This embargo is also affecting trade," Konate Lasseni, a Malian sociologist and researcher, told Anadolu Agency.

In Cameroon, a separatist crisis arising from protests by the Anglophone minority against marginalization is paralyzing two major regions where Anglophone people are heavily concentrated.

Development there is "suspended" because "it is impossible to develop in a climate of insecurity and without peace," said Cameroonian socio-economist Simon Crepin Bikele.

"Socially, families are disorganized. People have been separated from their families for some time, others do not know where their loved ones are. Lives are taken away overnight without the families involved knowing," he said.

The right to education also looks like a lure in these areas where, because of the conflict, 700,000 students have been out of school since 2017, according to Human Right Watch.

The lack of justice for people who have suffered violence during the crises also contributes to the nest of frustrations pushing young people to join the ranks of battles.

It is a situation that human rights defenders warn and deplore.

In the far north of the country, inter-communal conflicts linked to environmental hazards and recurrent attacks by Boko Haram terrorists also limit opportunities.

Across the Lake Chad Basin - Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria - 10.6 million people need humanitarian assistance, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported, noting that after several years of violence, basic social services and already limited natural resources are under strain.

There are 3.3 million people who are “food insecure - the worst situation for the same period in four years - and 400,000 children are suffering from severe malnutrition. 1,050 schools are no longer functioning due to attacks in the Lake Chad basin, depriving thousands of children of an education. 2.8 million are internally displaced, including 2 million in Nigeria alone, and 264,000 are refugees," the UN agency said in a humanitarian overview in December.

Many other African countries are also affected by the scourge, in addition to the political transitions that some are undergoing following coups born of protests reflecting the social needs of the population.

The French Development Agency believes that in Burkina Faso, now ruled by coup leaders, various development policies have "always been based on values of justice and equity," noting that despite political commitments, challenges in reducing social and economic inequalities remain.

More than 43% of the country's population lives below the poverty line, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Demography.

In a report on gender and poverty, it noted discrimination related to gender, marital status, household size, education level and the area where one lives.

And among other social injustices, women are more affected by the phenomenon of poverty than men, as they represent 52.4% compared with 47.6% of men.

In Niger, where the level of extreme poverty has reached 42.9%, affecting more than 10 million people out of a population of more than 24 million, environmental, political, social and agro-climatic factors, the decrease in agricultural productivity, degeneration of natural resources and frequent natural and man-made shocks are at the root of persistent underdevelopment and extreme poverty, according to Care International, a social justice NGO.

It also noted "extreme gender inequalities and weak governance" are drivers and causes of food insecurity.

In its publication entitled "Sahel: What Needs to Change" published last April, the Citizen's Coalition for the Sahel recommended, in the face of crises, prioritizing the protection of civilians, promoting a political strategy that addresses the root causes of the crisis, responding to humanitarian emergencies and fighting impunity.

In the same sphere, the AU Commission (AUC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) signed a partnership aimed at improving the world of work and employment in Africa at a virtual ceremony on Feb. 4, on the sidelines of the 40th Ordinary Session of the African Union Executive Council in Addis Ababa.

The agreement reflects, according to promoters, a mutual commitment to closer collaboration between the two organizations for social justice’s achievement in Africa./aa

Authorities in Ottawa arrested at least 70 demonstrators including another ringleader Friday as the interim police chief vowed to continue clearing protesters from the downtown area of the Candian capital 24-hours-a-day. if necessary. 

Large numbers of police, some on horseback, began to move in on protesters in earnest, arresting one of the "Freedom Convoy" organizers, Pat King, in the middle of an intense clash with protesters.

"We will run this operation 24 hours a day until residents and community have their city back," said interim police chief Steve Bell.

The protesters and about 500 transport trucks moved into the downtown area three weeks ago and created chaos that paralyzed the city. They demanded an end to all health regulations dealing with the coronavirus, including wearing masks and mandated vaccinations for truckers. Then talk spread about overthrowing the government.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday the illegal blockade had to end and invoked the Emergencies Act which gave police extra powers. Bell said the move was necessary to get the job done.

"Without the authorities being provided to us from these various pieces of legislation, we wouldn't be able to do the work we're doing today," he said.

Police earlier arrested two other ringleaders, Christopher Barber and Tamara Lich.

Before entering police custody, King called for transport truckers to block tow trucks -- about 21 vehicles had already been towed from downtown Ottawa. King also vowed revenge against any tow truck company that co-operated with police, accusing drivers of committing "career suicide."

As police slowly moved to tighten the circle around protesters, some demonstrators linked arms and called out "freedom" and "hold the line."

Others shouted "traitor" and "you are working for a dictator," meaning Trudeau.

Some police are dressed in riot gear and carry tear-gas guns. But for the most part, the situation has remained relatively free of violence, a goal Bell was striving for.

"We want to end this unlawful protest peacefully and safely," he said./agencis

Growth in the cryptocurrency ecosystem is fueling demand for stablecoins, Lael Brainard, who is a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, said Friday. 

The market capitalization of cryptocurrencies grew from less than $100 billion five years ago to as high as $3 trillion in November and it is currently around $2 trillion, she said during a speech at the US Monetary Policy Forum in New York.

Stablecoins, which are digital coins whose prices are stabilized to a traditional currency, saw its supply grow nearly six-fold from $29 billion in January 2021 to $165 billion in January 2022, she added.

In addition, stablecoins are being used as collateral on decentralized finance and other crypto platforms, as well as in facilitating trading and monetization of cryptocurrency positions on and between crypto and other platforms, she noted.

"In the future, some issuers envision that stablecoins will also have an expanded reach in the payment system and be commonly used for everyday transactions, both domestic and cross-border. So it is important to have strong frameworks for the quality and sufficiency of reserves and risk management and governance," she said.

Brainard, who was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as vice-chair of the Fed and is awaiting confirmation, called for the central bank to prepare for its own central bank digital currency (CBDC).

A CBDC, which is a digital currency issued by a central bank, should protect consumers' data and privacy, be widely transferable, and ensure identity verification to combat money laundering and funding of terrorism, she said.

"A CBDC -- depending on its features -- could be attractive as a store of value and means of payment to the extent it is seen as the safest form of money," she added. "The coexistence of CBDC alongside stablecoins and commercial bank money could prove complementary, by providing a safe central bank liability in the digital financial ecosystem."/agencies