THE CONTROVERSY OVER HIJAB AND BURQA HAS RAGED FROM KEMAL PASHA'S TURKEY TO NICOLAS SARKOZY'S FRANCE.

The Karnataka hijab controversy has sparked a bigger debate in India concerning uniform requirements in colleges and schools, as well as religious freedom of dress. These debates aren't new, and they aren't confined to India. Many countries, especially those in the Middle East, have dress codes, particularly for women.

WHY ARE THE HIJAB AND BURQA BEING DISCUSSED?

The Karnataka controversy arose from a group of students who insisted on attending class wearing a headscarf or burqa. Their insistence on donning the specific clothing became a protest against the Karnataka government's February 5 directive.

According to the government directive, prohibiting pupils from wearing hijabs while in class does not violate the Constitution's protection of religious freedom.

Hijab is an Islamic headscarf that covers the head and hair but does not cover the face. The burqa is a garment that covers the face and may even cover the rest of the body.

When the Taliban re-imposed the legislation in Afghanistan, making hijab, burqa, abaya (full-length garment), or niqab (clothing to cover the face) required for women in public or meeting men outside the family, these garments made international news.

TURKEY

The fight against the hijab and burqa has been going on for at least a century. Turkey's Kemal Pasha Ataturk was the most vocal proponent of removing such religious-based attire prohibitions. Kemal Pasha is often referred to as the "Father of Modern Turkey."

In the 1920s, Kemal Pasha dissolved the Ottoman Empire's Caliphate and began a series of reforms to transform Turkey into a modern nation comparable to developed Europe.

In 1925, the Kemal Pasha government issued a cabinet decision prohibiting state personnel from wearing overt indications of religious affiliation. He did not give any precise rules regarding women's clothing, but he did advise both men and women to disregard religious considerations when determining what to wear.

In Turkey, hijab and burqa have all but vanished as a result of his efforts. The revival of the Islamist tendency that propelled Recep Tayyip Erdogan to power as Turkish Prime Minister in 2003 and President in 2014 resulted in the passage of a bill in 2013 repealing Kemal Pasha's dress code.

WHEREVER ELSE IN EUROPE

Last year, Switzerland, a popular tourist destination, became the latest European country to outlaw the niqab, or Islamic veil.

If you conceal your face with a veil in the Netherlands, you will be fined 150 euros (about Rs 13,000). The niqab, as well as the burqa and hijab, are prohibited.

At the United Kingdom, wearing a veil over one's face is prohibited in schools and hospitals. In Germany, wearing a veil over one's face is prohibited in schools and by civil workers, including judges and soldiers. In Sweden, wearing a face-covering garment is prohibited in schools.

Belgium quickly followed France's lead in banning the Islamic veil. A seven-day jail sentence and a fine are the consequences of breaking the law. Although Italy does not have a law prohibiting the wearing of the Islamic veil, it has had a statute against clothing that conceals the wearer's identity since the 1970s.

Face-covering clothing is also prohibited in public areas in Denmark, Bulgaria, and Austria. Individuals in Austria are required by law to reveal their entire face, from chin to hairline.

INDIA

What to wear and how to dress are issues of personal autonomy and freedom in India, as provided by the Constitution. Only decency and public morality might be a constraint. However, neither the Constitution nor the Indian Penal Code define these terms.

AND THE HIJAB DAY VS. HIJAB-FREE DAY

Nazma Khan, a New York woman, started the Hijab Day campaign on February 1, 2013, to encourage women to wear headscarves. On February 1, a counter-movement developed in Canada and other countries to commemorate No Hijab Day.

In Iran, not wearing a hijab in public is a felony, and a major movement against the mandatory wearing of headscarves began a few years ago. Women would gather in public squares and remove their hijabs.

Many countries, including India, are debating the issue.