It did not start with a few women being suddenly radicalised to turn up in hijab but ostensibly with Hindu right wing groups deciding to manufacture a controversy. And now, the row around headscarves and saffron shawls in Karnataka is in danger of spiralling out of control.
While the matter has been referred to a larger bench, the Karnataka chief minister has announced a closure of educational institutes and the Madhya Pradesh education minister has spoken about an impending hijab ban in the state. But how did it come to this? What is the way out? And are courts the fora to resolve this or is it time for the political executive to step up to the plate?
