CPI(M) Leader’s Comment On Hijab Sparks Row: Five Things To Know

Leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) K. Anil Kumar said on October 3 that the party had influenced Muslim girls in Kerala’s Malappuram district to give up wearing the hijab.

He made the controversial statement during a seminar organised by an atheist group, sparking massive outrage among several religious outfits and scholars.

CPI(M) Leader’s Comment On Hijab Sparks Row

1. "Look at the education system in Malappuram. Was it created by some religious organisation? Malappuram district was formed by the CPI (M). As part of the changes taking place in Malappuram, look at the new women of Malappuram. We believe that there are girls in Malappuram now who will say no to wearing 'thattam' (hijab) on their heads as part of the communist party existing in Kerala and as part of the education system," he said.
2. Samastha, a Sunni scholar’s body, pointed fingers at the CPI (M) for its double standards. IUML leaders KM Shaji and KPA Majeed questioned the rationale behind linking free thinking with the abandonment of the hijab and accused the CPI (M) of infringing on religious beliefs.
3. Responding to the backlash, MV Govindan, the state secretary of the CPI (M), rejected the claims and clarified that the remakes were inappropriate and did not reflect the party’s views. He added that dressing was a democratic right of an individual, and no one had the right to encroach upon it.
4. CPI (M)-backed MLA KT Jaleel said that the opinion is strictly personal and is not in any way the party’s stand. He added that attempting to present the individual’s fault as the party’s decision is ill-informed.
5. After the CPI (M) distanced itself from Anil Kumar’s controversial remark, the CPI (M) leader clarified in a Facebook post that he would uphold the party’s stand on the issue.

Suggested Reading: A UK Sculpture Will Pay Tribute To Hijab-Wearing Women, Their Strength