After Hijab Ban, Chembur College Bans Jeans & Tees

Hawking Issue

The Acharya Marathe College is in controversy recently after the Bombay High Court passed an order banning burqas and other religious identifiers in the college.

A new controversy is going on at Acharya Marathe College in Chembur on Monday as college students wearing jeans and t-shirts were not allowed to enter the college, which led to chaos and allegations of harassment on the part of students.

Case Insights

The college was in the news after the high court passed an order banning burqas, niqabs, hijabs, and other religious identifiers like badges, caps, and stoles. The dress code also advised wearing half- and full-length shirts with trousers for boys and “any Indian or western non-revealing dress” for girls.

Moreover, the college issued an order that says students in higher classes must wear “formal” & “decent” attire, with certain instructions for both boys and girls.

Some female students who were wearing jeans and t-shirts were not given entry to the college premises alongside their friends, who were wearing hijabs. The frustrated students denounced the college administration for being conservative and stated that the restrictions on the dress code breached their constitutional right to freedom of religion and culture.

One female student stated, “I was wearing jeans, which is my daily attire, but was blocked at the college gate by the security guard for the first time. I don’t feel there is anything wrong with wearing jeans. The college management must change its mindsets considering students’ current lifestyles.”

Another male student who was not allowed to enter the college premises said, “More than 40 of us had to wait outside the college gate today morning. Not only did we miss our classes for the day, we will also be tensed out about what to wear to college every morning.”

Vidyagauri Lele, the college principal, claimed they had problems with certain types of jeans and t-shirts. “Rather than classifying those, we have placed a ban on jeans and t-shirts for all students. I have personally spoken with students to explain our policies.