Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has sought a report within a week from the Director of Public Instruction on the reported representation of a Muslim man as a terrorist in the welcome song during the inaugural ceremony of the recently held State School Arts Festival here.
A release quoting the Minister said on Tuesday that the portion in the song mentioned above did not reflect the Left Democratic Front government’s policy. The Education department is considering excluding Perambra-based cultural troupe Matha, which presented the song, from future programmes.
All the aspects of the arts festival are controlled by various teachers’ organisations. The welcome song too had been vetted by a committee. But it is learnt that the participants were not in their stage dress during the screening, the Minister noted.
This comes against the backdrop of a statement from the CPI(M) Kozhikode district committee seeking an inquiry into the presentation of the song. Representing a Muslim as a terrorist was against the stand of the government as well as Kerala society. Terrorism should not be linked to one community, the statement said. V.R. Anoop, a lawyer, too has filed a complaint with the Nadakkavu police.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan said in Kannur that there was no controversy regarding the welcome song. “The CPIM and the government are not against any religion or belief. If anyone has intervened against the stance of the party, it will be checked,” he said.
BJP Kozhikode district president V.K. Sajeevan, meanwhile, said that the government’s decision to exclude the cultural troupe was equal to enforcing “Taliban model” rule in the State.