Fabrics of Power: Cutting Through the Noise in the Classroom

Abstract

The hijab, purdah and veil – though differently named – constitute a continuum of meanings shaped by social, cultural and personal contexts. A woman’s decision to adopt or reject these garments situates her within a shifting spectrum of religious expression and secular alternatives. The volatility of these meanings renders the garments vulnerable to political appropriation, transforming them into contested symbols that are difficult to address pedagogically, therefore becoming a fabric of power. The hijab controversy that unfolded in Karnataka’s educational institutions in early 2022 sharpened these complexities, prompting extensive public commentary on the purpose of education, the responsibilities of institutions, and the rhetorics of liberty, secularism, nation and religion. This article examines these commentarial responses – ranging from editorials to columns in Kannada and the English media – while reflecting on the parallel experience of teaching concepts such as liberty, dissent, secularism and religion during the period of unrest. In doing so, it foregrounds the paradox inherent in the politics of teaching literature, the framing of literature as political, and the pedagogical negotiations required when instruction unfolds within a charged and highly politicised atmosphere.