By The Hindu Bureau

Copyright thehindu

The Muslim Students Federation (MSF) and the Students Federation of India (SFI) staged protests at a school in Kasaragod, Kerala, on Saturday after teachers allegedly stopped a mime show in support of Palestine.

Later in the day, General Education Minister V. Sivankutty told the media that the Director General of Education had been asked to inquire into the incident and submit a report.

“Kerala State has always taken a stance against the genocide of Palestinians by Israel and the State is with the Palestinian children who are being hunted down,” he said.

Mr. Sivankutty said nobody possessed the power to stop such a mime show and that the children would be provided an opportunity to perform the mime on the same stage.

According to the police, the mime show was stopped during the school arts festival at Kumbala Government Higher Secondary School on Friday. Two teachers intervened and asked the students to stop the performance before pulling down the stage curtains, they said.

The move drew sharp criticism, prompting the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to convene a meeting on Saturday.

However, activists of the MSF, the student wing of the Indian Union Muslim League, barged into the meeting demanding action against the teachers. The protesters alleged that teachers locked students in a room to stop the event.

SFI cadres also staged a protest at the school.

The police later removed the protesters from the premises, and personnel have been deployed on the campus to prevent any untoward incident.

Officials said the PTA was looking to resume the arts festival and resolve the issues.

(With agency inputs)