Student organizations, including the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) and the Students Federation of India (SFI), launched protests at a school in Kasaragod, Kerala, on Saturday. Their outrage stemmed from allegations that teachers had prematurely halted a mime performance expressing solidarity with Palestine during the school’s arts festival.
Responding swiftly to the controversy, General Education Minister V. Sivankutty announced later that day that the Director General of Education has been tasked with conducting a thorough inquiry into the incident and submitting a detailed report.
Minister Sivankutty reiterated Kerala’s long-standing position, stating, "Kerala State has consistently opposed the ongoing atrocities against Palestinians by Israel. The state stands firmly with the Palestinian children who are enduring immense suffering."
He further stressed that no one has the authority to prevent such a performance, assuring that the students would be given another chance to present their pro-Palestine mime show on the very same stage.
Police confirmed that the mime show took place at Kumbala Government Higher Secondary School’s arts festival on Friday, but was indeed cut short. Reports indicate that two teachers directly intervened, instructing students to stop and then drawing the stage curtains.
This abrupt halt quickly sparked widespread condemnation, leading the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to call an emergency meeting on Saturday to address the fallout.
During the PTA meeting, activists from the MSF, the student faction of the Indian Union Muslim League, forcibly entered, vociferously demanding immediate action against the teachers involved. Allegations were also raised that the teachers had locked students in a room to prevent the performance.
Simultaneously, SFI members also initiated their own protest at the school premises.
Law enforcement authorities subsequently removed the protesters from the school grounds and deployed additional personnel to ensure peace and prevent any further disturbances.
School officials indicated that the PTA is actively working towards resuming the arts festival and reaching a resolution to the ongoing issues.
(Information compiled from various agency reports.)