Kerala school students made to sing song linking arab attire to terrorism, complaint filed
Kochi: A school students' performance at a CBSE arts festival in Aluva has triggered controversy in Kerala, with two organisations approaching the police over allegations that its lyrics portrayed people in Arab attire as criminals and terrorists.
The performance by students of St Mary's School, Allapra, Perumbavoor, at Mahilalayam School in Aluva reportedly contained references associating Arab clothing with theft and terrorism, including imagery of bomb attacks on railway tracks.
The Ernakulam district committee of the Fraternity Movement lodged a complaint at the Perumbavoor police station on Tuesday, seeking an investigation into the incident. Its district general secretary, Ashiq Panayikkulam, alleged that the performance promoted religious prejudice and Islamophobia through a children's cultural programme.
The organisation maintained that educational and cultural platforms should encourage tolerance, fraternity and mutual respect rather than messages that could deepen communal divisions.
The Perumbavoor constituency committee of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) also submitted a complaint against the school management and arts festival organisers.
Its constituency president, Shameer M.H., sought legal action against the teachers, school authorities and those involved in preparing the song, urging the police to examine provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Juvenile Justice Act.
Both organisations demanded a comprehensive investigation and action against those found responsible.