New Delhi: While agreeing with the Karnataka High Court verdict that effectively disallows Muslim girls from wearing hijab in schools and colleges if they violate rules fixed by their administrations, a majority of Indians also asserted that education must be a bigger priority for the Muslim girls, as per a IANS-CVoter snap poll.
The sample size of the survey was 1,508.
This was revealed during a nationwide survey conducted by IANS-CVoter over the issue soon after the verdict was delivered and the news spread across the country.
On being asked if they think Muslim girls should attend schools and colleges even if the hijab is not allowed, more than 66 per cent of the respondents said yes while 27 per cent disagreed with the proposition. Just about 5 per cent had no opinion on the issue. There was remarkable similarity in the opinions of NDA as well as opposition supporters. While 67.4 per cent of NDA voters supported the move, while 65.2 per cent of opposition voters also supported the move.
Traditionally, Muslim girls have been deprived of a modern education, particularly during and after high school. This has adversely affected their socio-economic status in the country.
Even on this issue, a clear majority lamed vested interests in the community for this state of affairs; though the responses were along more partisan lines.
More than 71 per cent of NDA voters blamed the vested interests in the community while the figure dropped sharply to 52.4 per cent amongst the opposition voters.
While 10.5 per cent of NDA supporters said an indifferent government was responsible, 22.5 per cent of opposition voters blamed the government.
Also while just about 4 per cent of NDA voters thought that the rising Hindutva aggression discouraged Muslim girls from attending school, 10.5 per cent of opposition voters supported this proposition. The High Court verdict has already even appealed in the Supreme Court.
