A Hijab Exposes The Fault Line Beneath Kerala’s Social Life

It began as a dispute over a headscarf in a classroom. A CBSE school in Kerala barred a student from wearing the hijab. The student then decided to move to another institution. This incident has stirred emotions far beyond the campus. The school defied the state Education Department’s directive to allow the student to continue. This decision reignited debate over identity, rights, and religious coexistence. The High Court has refused to stay the department’s order directing the management to admit the student. The episode reveals growing unease and eroding trust between significant sections of the Christian and Muslim communities in Kerala.

At St. Reetha’s School in Palluruthy, Kochi, run by a Christian management, the school objected when a student wore a hijab during a school function. The authorities reportedly asked her to remove it if she wished to attend class — a demand that left the family distressed and the community in a state of division.

Kerala’s Religious Faultlines Exposed

According to parents, the student usually removed the hijab while entering classrooms and wore it outside the campus; on the day of the function, she reportedly wore it because the school held the event in the auditorium, not in a classroom.

In response, local MP Hibi Eden intervened, meeting the student’s parents as the issue gained attention. While initial reports suggested that the student agreed not to wear the hijab, Eden’s intervention was criticised for not challenging the school’s decision. He clarified that his involvement aimed to prevent communal forces from capitalising on the situation and to avert social discord.

The incident soon moved beyond the school gates and spread to social media. There, it ignited a wave of communal rhetoric. Members linked to the Sangh Parivar rallied behind the Christian Association and Alliance for Social Action (CASA), which defended the school’s stand. The exchanges quickly turned toxic. Islamophobic remarks flooded online platforms. A local dispute over a student’s attire soon became a larger battle over identity and belonging.

The hijab controversy began in a school. It has exposed fault lines between religious communities beneath Kerala’s secular and progressive image. Writer P. F. Mathews observes that such tensions are not new. “It is wrong to presume that religious prejudices did not exist in earlier times,” he says. “They were always there. People were conscious of who was from ‘our community.’ They preferred to buy land where ‘our people’ were present. But that prejudice was subtle. Now, because of the changed political climate, parties like the BJP can exploit this sense of ‘oneness.’ This is turning it into suspicion and animosity.”

Heightened Mistrust Between Kerala Christians and Muslims

There have been several flashpoints that have deepened the mistrust between the Christian and Muslim communities in Kerala over the past two decades. The US-led war on terror, which many Muslim organisations interpreted as a war against Islam and some others as a ‘clash of civilisation’, created an early sense of alienation. Closer home, the “love jihad” narrative—first propagated by Sangh Parivar groups and later echoed by sections of the Church—further strained inter-community relations.

Activists of the now-proscribed Popular Front of India attacked Professor T.J. Joseph, accusing him of blasphemy and brutally severing his wrist, marking another turning point. Many saw this as a grim manifestation of religious extremism taking root in sections of Kerala’s society. In the following years, some Christian religious leaders repeated unverified claims of “love jihad” and lent legitimacy to the Sangh Parivar’s campaigns, turning once-mutual wariness into open suspicion.

Communality: Populist Politics Or Fringe Elements?

P. F. Mathews notes that communal dynamics in Kerala are not limited to opposition parties or fringe groups. He observes, “Even the CPI(M) chief minister is seen endorsing a community leader. Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan continues to speak against the Muslim community. In fact, such endorsements help communal forces.” According to Mathews, both the CPI(M) and the Congress seek short-term social or electoral support. Their pragmatic calculations have created space for communal elements. This has made trust between communities more fragile.

Some observers point out that certain Christian Church leaders face corruption allegations. They have sought to curry favour with the BJP to protect themselves from legal scrutiny by the Union government.

Critics say, “Without a modicum of ethics, these Church leaders are actively pampering communal forces.” Such alignments further complicate the communal landscape and deepen mistrust between communities.

Prof. Azeez Tharuvana says the BJP government in Karnataka banned the hijab. There, the conflict was between secular civil society and majoritarian forces. In Kerala, a part of society is using the hijab controversy in a management school to pit one community against another. This reveals deep vulnerabilities in society. “What is most disheartening,” he notes, “is that Kerala’s public sphere once thrived on a composite culture. Today, more parents admit children to schools run by their own religious groups. This denies students the chance to know other faiths and cultures. It forces them into a tunnel vision of society.”

Observers like him fear that the hijab controversy will only accelerate the deepening mistrust between communities. From disputes over conversions to the hardening stance of religious and community groups on certain social issues, Kerala has witnessed a gradual erosion of mutual trust. This deepening suspicion is also reflected in the vitriolic comments that have dominated social media.

The hijab row, in that sense, becomes symptomatic of a larger unease that is increasingly engulfing Kerala’s society.