For eight teenage girls in Karnataka’s Udupi district, the first few weeks of the new year have been marred by a public ordeal, emotional upheaval, and intense scrutiny. They have gone from being ordinary students with a usual routine to now sitting on the staircase outside their classrooms they are barred from going in. The reason? Their hijab. The Quint speaks to two of the students – AH Almas, 18, and Aliya Assadi, 17 – who say being away from their classrooms is costing them their education – and their attendance. Watch the full interview.