Reshma Ravishanker

A video of a Karnataka school student passing a controversial religious remark during a school science exhibition over choice of attire by women has gone viral, sparking massive outrage online.

A class IV Muslim student of HUDA Public School in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district displayed two contradicting dolls as part of a scientific exhibition that raised concerns over education and has prompted the education department to investigate the matter.

The student has two dolls on the exhibit, one in a western attire and another donning a burqa while two coffins lay next to each. Ironically, the ‘science exhibit’ shows the coffin of the woman clad in burqa adorned with flowers and titled “Jannati aurat” and a clean sheet while that of a woman wearing a western attire has snakes and scorpions crawling atop of it with the description “Jahannum aurat”. The exhibit of the woman clad in burqa is set against a background of sky with some clouds and stairway to heaven while that of the other is set ablaze, representative of hell.

Fathima, who says that she is proud of donning a ‘parda’ herself endorses the wearing of a burqa failing which there would be adverse consequences.

A science exhibition for schools was held in Chamraj Nagar, Karnataka. This is the science creation of a student who participated in it.

If you wear a burqa, the grave will be full of flowers. If you wear half-dressed clothes, after death, there will be scorpions and snakes in… pic.twitter.com/mZdC36coje

— Saravanaprasad Balasubramanian (Modi ka Pariwar) (@BS_Prasad) March 24, 2025

“My topic is ‘Azab-E-Khabr’. A woman who dons a ‘parda’ has more sanctity than that of a martyr’s blood. Parda is not a restriction that Islam has imposed on us.The good aspect about parda is that she cannot see ‘another man’ nor the ‘other men’ can see her,” she explains.  

The student added, “Jo Aurat be-parda ghar mein phirti hoo, aur uss ghar ka shohar kuch na bole, who aurat ki hi kya aur woh mard hi kya..” (If a woman roams freely in her house without a parda, is she even a woman and is her husband man enough if he permits her to do so). The student adds that such a person is ‘Dayyuth’ a person who is apathetic or permissive of adulterous behaviour from a spouse. “Allah will neither consider his Namaz nor give him dua.”

Yogananda B.N. is the general secretary of the RTE Students and Parents’ Association said, “We are shocked to see such religious concepts of hell and heaven and infidelity are being ingrained in the minds of young students who live in a diverse society. The content is not even age appropriate or progressive. Whether it is the teacher or parents behind this, strict action must be taken against them by the government for letting a child present this.”  

X user Saravanaprasad Balasubramanian from Tamil Nadu whose video has gone viral commented “Amazing School education Karnataka. If you visit the school’s youtube channel you will get to see a lot of similar videos.” 

Also read: Karnataka: Official transfer tied to teacher’s dismissal over alleged communal remarks