Cachar College in Assam’s Silchar will make every effort to implement its prescribed uniform code following a clash between members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) over the wearing of hijab.
The clash took place on Tuesday during membership drives organised by ABVP and NSUI on the college campus. According to Maktoob, the confrontation began after some ABVP members objected to Muslim female students wearing hijab at the NSUI membership camp.
Several students were injured in the clash and were reportedly taken to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for treatment, Assam Tribune reported.
Cachar College Says Uniform Rules Will Be Followed
Cachar College principal Dr Apratim Nag said the institution would work towards enforcing its existing uniform rules.
“The college’s official uniform notice clearly specifies the dress for male and female students,” Nag said, according to Assam Tribune. “Under the prescribed code, male students are required to wear trousers and shirts, while female students must wear salwar-kameez or churidar-kameez with a dupatta worn in the prescribed manner.”
Nag also said that the college administration had not lodged a police complaint over Tuesday’s clash.
Muslim Student Alleges Hijab Was Targeted
A Muslim female student alleged that ABVP members initially questioned the presence of hijab-wearing students at the NSUI camp.
“They said, ‘You are wearing a hijab today, tomorrow you will start praying here,’” she said, according to Maktoob. “When pooja is held here, we never question why it is happening. Then why are they questioning our hijab?”
The student also alleged that ABVP members spread a claim that students were wearing headphones under their hijabs.
“If that is the case, they can put mechanisms in place to check students before examinations,” she said.
She claimed that the NSUI membership campaign had been organised with the permission of the college principal. According to her, ABVP members later objected to the campaign and allegedly tried to take away the membership register.
“After learning that the campaign had the principal’s permission, they snatched our hijab, pushed us and touched us. They also beat up the boys badly,” she alleged.
The allegations have not been independently verified.
ABVP and NSUI Trade Allegations
Police intervened after the argument escalated into a physical confrontation and separated the two groups.
NSUI alleged that ABVP members assaulted its workers and attempted to use political influence to cover up the incident.
ABVP, however, accused NSUI members of provoking the clash and maintained that students should follow the college’s prescribed uniform. ABVP leaders condemned the violence and called for an impartial investigation and appropriate action against those found responsible, the newspaper reported.
Dispute Over Religious Attire
The clash came amid a wider debate over religious clothing at Cachar College. On August 24, a section of students submitted a memorandum to the Cachar district administration seeking restrictions on religious attire, including hijabs and skullcaps, on campus.
The college administration’s decision to emphasise its existing uniform code comes amid these competing demands over student attire.
Algapur-Katlicherra MLA and Assam Pradesh Youth Congress president Zubair Anam Mazumder also sought enhanced security for students in and around the college.
Mazumder met Cachar Senior Superintendent of Police PP Das on Thursday and submitted a memorandum seeking increased security arrangements. He also said that any dress regulations should be applied equally to all students and should not target a particular community.
