A Kolkali (folk art) dance form at a high school in Kerala’s Kannur district was stopped by the principal after performers wore T-shirts that read “Free Palestine.”
The incident took place at Anjarakandy Higher Secondary School during its youth festival on September 27. The incident was captured on video, which was widely shared online. It shows the principal walking up on the stage and drawing the curtains, stopping the performance.
He claimed that the students did not adhere to the festival guidelines. However, he failed to specify which rules.
The Kerala Students Union (KSU), student wing of the Congress, the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) and the student wing of the Indian Union Muslim League in Kerala held protest marches to the school after the incident against the principal’s action.
Local media have reported that the school is owned by a society controlled by the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Kolkali is a centuries-old folk art from the north Malabar region, where dancers move in a circle with sticks. It is generally performed in white shirts and checkered bottoms and a head cloth.
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