India, May 16 -- The Karnataka Government has revoked its 2022 school uniform order and permitted 'religious and traditional symbols' in schools and colleges.

Students may now wear hijabs, turbans, sacred threads, rudraksha beads, etc., provided these 'complement the uniform' and do not compromise discipline, safety or identification.

It sounds reasonable, even liberal, but it is also quite contradictory.

A uniform, by definition, is meant to erase visible distinctions such as class, caste and creed. Uniforms are meant to make the classroom a neutral space. But the moment you introduce 'religious identifiers,' especially visual ones, you introduce the very markers the uniform seeks to suppress.

Now that this issue is back on the table...