ln a disturbing incident that unfolded at the Koroimura Higher Secondary School in Tripura’s Bishalgarh subdivision, a right-wing mob allegedly assaulted a Class 10 boy for defending hijab-clad Muslim girls’ right to attend their classes. The victim, identified as Iliyas Sarkar Suman, was dragged out of his classroom and brutally thrashed in front of the entire school. Shockingly, no teacher or the headmaster came to his rescue during the assault. The incident occurred after a heated argument erupted between Hindu and Muslim students over the issue of Muslim girls wearing hijabs.
PTI reports revealed that Iliyas had joined a group of students in ransacking the school principal’s office in response to some Muslim girls being prohibited from wearing hijabs and asked to don a ‘proper’ uniform. The tension surrounding the hijab controversy has been escalating in the northeastern state for some time now. The headmaster, Priyatosh Nandi, shared that a group of former students associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had approached him, urging him to enforce a ban on female students wearing hijabs and insist that all students wear the proper school uniform.
The situation escalated further when some Hindu students decided to attend school in saffron-colored kurtas in solidarity with the demand for uniformity. When asked to wear the standard school uniform, they responded that they would comply only if all students adhered to the rule. While the headmaster’s directive was aimed at establishing uniformity, it inadvertently led to a violent altercation and subsequent mob attack on young Iliyas, who was left seriously injured and had to be rushed to a nearby healthcare center. Despite the escalating tension and communal undertones, the police have asserted that the incident is not a communal issue.
Nevertheless, to de-escalate the situation and restore peace in the area, a heavy police force has been deployed, and classes at the school have been canceled temporarily. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation, with locals taking to the streets to protest the assault on Iliyas and the mistreatment of Muslim girls’ religious beliefs. The state authorities are closely monitoring the situation and are actively working towards finding a resolution. This shocking incident has once again brought to the forefront the sensitive issue of religious freedom and diversity in educational institutions. The need for dialogue, tolerance, and understanding among different communities is emphasized as Tripura strives to find a peaceful resolution to the hijab controversy.