Vivek Vidyalaya Junior College in Mumbai’s Goregaon West revoked its burqa ban on 4 December 2025 following a student hunger strike, permitting burqas on campus while prohibiting face-covering niqabs for security.
The policy, enacted last week to enforce uniformity after a cheating incident, mandated hijab-only entry and sparked protests from female students supported by AIMIM leader Jahanara Sheikh and Students Islamic Organisation (SIO).
This invoked constitutional rights under Articles 14, 15, and 25; officials including trustee SR Verma and principal Sheeja Menon submitted a clarifying letter at Goregaon police station, resolving the matter peacefully amid an FIR against three protesters under BNS Section 223 and related acts.
Student Outrage Ignites Protest
Female students at Vivek Vidyalaya, long accustomed to wearing burqas freely, faced abrupt enforcement of the new rule, arriving at gates only to remove outer layers and don hijabs before classes, often changing in washrooms.
“I’ve worn a burqa all my life. Sitting in class without one feels uncomfortable,” one FYJC student shared, highlighting the personal distress amid threats of admission cancellation for non-compliance.
Initial complaints to principal Sheeja Menon yielded no change-she directed queries to lawyers-prompting a sit-in that escalated to a Thursday hunger strike outside the college, drawing crowds and police intervention.
Advocate Jahanara Sheikh, AIMIM Women’s Wing vice-president, joined the fray, slamming the policy as discriminatory after years of tolerance.
The Students Islamic Organisation issued a strong statement: “This policy violates Articles 14, 15, and 25… forcing girls to change in washrooms or face admission cancellation, inflicting humiliation and denying equal access to education. It reeks of targeted Islamophobia.”
By evening, tensions peaked as protesters clashed verbally with authorities, yet mediation kept events non-violent.
Policy Origins and Enforcement
The dress code emerged from a 2024 exam cheating case where a burqa-clad impostor infiltrated, prompting broader restrictions on attire revealing “religion or cultural disparity”-banning burqas, niqabs, shorts, sleeveless tops, slippers, ripped jeans, and crop tops-while allowing “appropriate Indian or Western outfits” or hijabs.
This applied solely to the junior college section; senior college students faced no such curbs, underscoring inconsistent application across the institution.
A circular distributed last week instructed burqa removal at entry, fuelling daily humiliations as students navigated privacy-lacking facilities. Muslim groups decried it as a violation of religious freedom, with SIO emphasising eroded inclusivity in classrooms meant for learning, not cultural erasure.
Police at Teen Dongri station urged protesters to await reconsideration, logging initial objections before the pivotal resolution.
Official Response and Legal Fallout
Around 5 pm on 4 December, trustee SR Verma, principal Sheeja Menon, and vice-principal arrived at Goregaon police station with a management letter affirming: burqas permitted in classes and premises, niqabs banned solely for identification and security-no opposition to any faith.
“The letter stated that wearing the burqa would be allowed on campus and in class; only the niqab was prohibited,” reports confirmed, quelling social media furore labelled as “baseless misinterpretations.”
Yet, repercussions followed: Goregaon police filed an FIR against three named female students-plus unidentified others-for unauthorised assembly, invoking BNS Section 223 (disobedience to public servant orders), Maharashtra Police Act sections, and BNSS provisions; notices under BNSS Section 35(3) were served post-protest.
Political figures visited the station, but officials stressed peaceful closure, with principal Menon unresponsive to media queries beyond legal consultations.
Broader Context in Mumbai Colleges
This episode mirrors recurring dress code tussles in Mumbai’s educational hubs, where institutions like those banning slippers or revealing clothes now grapple with religious attire amid rising security concerns post-cheating scandals.
Similar hijab rows in Karnataka and elsewhere have tested constitutional balances, spotlighting tensions between discipline, equality, and personal faith in diverse India.
Applied only to junior college, the policy highlights administrative silos, potentially setting precedents for uniform enforcement.
No updates emerged by 6 December, with social media echoes on Instagram and Facebook amplifying calls for empathy over division. The swift reversal underscores student agency in policy shifts, though FIRs signal limits to protest methods.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This saga celebrates peaceful activism’s triumph, where student voices, backed by allies, compelled dialogue over diktats, honouring religious dignity alongside security in India’s plural fabric.
By allowing burqas sans niqabs, the college modelled coexistence-kindness bridging divides, empathy fostering harmony without erasing identities. True progress lies in policies nurturing inclusion, not alienation, empowering youth as change agents.
