New Delhi: As the controversy over the hijab ban in Karnataka escalates, five faculty members of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B) have written to the National Commission for Women (NCW) to “act urgently” to help Muslim women “facing intimidation”, Indian Express has reported.In their petition to NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma, the IIM-B faculty members – Hema Swaminathan, Ritwik Banerjee, Deepak Malghan, Dalhia Mani and Prateek Raj – stated they are against patriarchal norms across religions, but questioned singling out of one religion.“To single out one religious practice is not acceptable,” they said.“As you must be aware, evidence globally and from India shows that education is the most effective tool for women’s empowerment and broader social development. The atmosphere of fear and intimidation will make parents hesitate to send daughters to schools and colleges. ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ will be an abject failure, not just for Muslim girls, but for girls across all communities,” the petition said.Also read: Hijab Ban: In Interim Order, Karnataka HC Says No ‘Religious Dress’ Until Matter DecidedAdditionally, 184 students of Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, have released a statement of solidarity to extended support to those “harassed by mobs and denied education based on their attire”. The students called upon Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai to act sternly against those “harassing” students.Stating that they vehemently oppose any kind of discrimination that denies citizens their basic rights, such as education, the solidarity statement said, “Such incidents have the potential to create institutionalised discrimination based on gender, religion and caste… We should also remember that it is our Constitutional duty as citizens to promote harmony and respect our composite culture.As students of a progressive country and the world’s largest democracy, we believe no institution should impose its belief on what one should wear, eat or say! Therefore as youths of a young country that is home to the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi, APJ Abdul Kalam, Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Rakumari Amrit Kaur and Savitribai Phule, it is our responsibility to voice our concerns and protect the idea of a secular and democratic India.”