Muslim Groups Cry ‘Imposition Of Liberalism’ Against Gender-Neutral Uniform Plan In A Kerala State School

Muslim groups took out a protest rally yesterday (15 December) in Kerala’s Kozhikode district against unisex uniform system in a government school.

The groups accused the Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government of “forcing modern dress concept on school children”, reported Hindustan Times.

The protesters, who gathered in Balussery in Kozhikode, were against the system of gender-neutral dress for boys and girls from Class X onwards in a government higher secondary school in the area.

It was introduced in the school in 2018 by the then headmistress C Raji.

Hindustan Times quoted a “spokesperson” of the Muslim coordination committee as saying, “There was no discussion before introducing such a system. It is part of imposing liberal ideologies on students.”

The Times of India quoted former headmistress C Raji as countering this and saying that “90 percent of parents supported this at that time”.

HT reported that there was no woman in the protest.

In 2017, a school in Ernakulam district had started the unisex uniform system. The Left-Front state government pledged support to the idea.