Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty has ordered an urgent inquiry into the incident at Kumbla Higher Secondary School in Kasaragod, where teachers halted a mime performance on the Gaza genocide during the school arts festival and went on to suspend the entire event.
Announcing that the Director of Public Instruction has been tasked with submitting a report, the minister declared, “Let me make one thing clear: Kerala has always stood firmly against the genocide carried out by Israel in Palestine. Kerala stands with the children who are being hunted down in Palestine.”
“Who has the authority to prevent a mime performance on the Palestine issue?” he asked, assuring that the students of Kumbla School would be given the opportunity to perform the mime again on stage.
Kasaragod Collector K. Imbasekar has also asked for reports from the District Police and the Deputy Director of General Education on the incident.
The two-day “Kalolsavam” (arts festival) was suspended after a teacher brought down the curtain during the final moments of a mime.
The incident, which occurred on Friday evening, triggered protests from student organisations, with activists from the MSF and SFI marching to the school in protest.
The mime portrayed war-torn Gaza, showing the death of a child killed in an Israeli bombardment, while students held a photo and a soft toy symbolizing the suffering of Palestinian children.
Despite the curtain being drawn, the students continued to display Palestine solidarity posters and flags, which were cheered on by their fellow students.
They also chanted “Free, free Palestine,” after which a teacher on stage announced that all programs for the day were cancelled.
However, Head Teacher Shailaja V. R. clarified that the mime was performed by higher secondary students who had requested to present it a day earlier due to a district sports meet, and while the act involved more students and the use of props like a soft toy and a portrait of a grieving Palestinian mother, she claimed it was against competition rules.
The organisers initially allowed it, but the curtain was lowered when the portrait was displayed, leading to the controversy.
Soon after, the remaining participants pulled out Palestine flags and photos from their pockets, while the four students seated in front of the stage joined them, raising slogans in solidarity with Palestine, prompting a teacher to immediately announce the cancellation of all events for the day.
Teachers of the school claimed that the reactions of the government and student organisations were guided by a wrong portrayal of what transpired at the school.
The protest escalated when members of the Muslim Students Federation (MSF), the student wing of the Muslim League, marched to the school and demanded action against the two teachers who lowered the curtain, leading to a scuffle that forced police intervention.
MSF leaders refused to leave until action was taken, prompting Kumbla Police to arrest students to disperse the protest, while Manjeshwar MLA A. K. M. Ashraf also reached the spot.
Later, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the ruling CPM, also took out a march to the school. The SDPI also staged a protest outside the school.
The PTA president stated that action would be taken against the accused teachers and clarified that the program, including the contested mime, will be held in the coming days.
He emphasized that it was a gesture of solidarity with Palestine, not an act of sedition, and added that youth festivals would cover topics that are relevant and contemporary.
Amid global outrage against Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Kerala campuses have witnessed a surge in protests, symbolic demonstrations, marches, discussions, and displays of solidarity with Palestine during arts festivals.
A day earlier in Kannur, students of Government Higher Secondary School in Ancharakandy, east of Thalassery, were stopped mid-performance during a Kolkkali (a folk art performed in the Malabar region) event for wearing T-shirts with pro-Palestine slogans.