A recent hijab ban at some schools in southern India has reignited a debate over religious freedom in the world’s largest democracy. Citing new government restrictions, schools across Karnataka are prohibiting students from wearing religious symbols such as headscarves in class.

Videos of young Muslim women and girls being forced to remove their hijabs before entering school have gone viral and sparked widespread protests in India and around the world.

The ban comes as India grows less tolerant of its Christian and Muslim minority populations under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party. The ban is being upheld while the Karnataka High Court consider a petition on its legality.

In this episode of The Stream, we’ll discuss what’s happening in Karnataka, how it’s related to an election taking place 1,400 km away and the growing polarisation between India’s Hindu and Muslim communities.

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