“There are alleged attempts in our country to portray a particular community as extremists and there is a need to look into it,” Kerala minister PA Mohammed Riyas said on Sunday, January 8. His remarks came in the wake of a controversy erupting in Kerala after a cultural programme organised during the inaugural function of the 61st state school youth festival had allegedly depicted a particular community as extremists. The youth festival was held in Kozhikode between January 3 and 7.
Riyas said that the alleged association, if any, of the person in charge of that particular programme with the Sangh Parivar needs to be investigated. "There are attempts in our country to portray a particular community as extremists. In this particular issue, the alleged Sangh Parivar association of the persons concerned should be investigated," Riyas told reporters.
He said such an incident is suspected to be an attempt to create unrest during the youth festival. "It should be investigated whether that was an attempt to divide people and diminish the popularity of the event which witnessed a huge turnout," he added.
The musical programme was performed after the inauguration of the state school youth festival on Tuesday. It depicted the Indian army apprehending a man sporting a Keffiyeh, a traditional Arab headgear worn by men.
Sources said that when the dance was performed before the screening committee, it was done without the costume. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has condemned the depiction of a particular community in a bad light in a musical programme and said it should not have happened.
IUML leader PK Kunhalikutty had said that the mistake on the part of the government cannot be accepted. "They could have used some masks to depict terrorists. But instead they used a Muslim attire which was an unacceptable mistake on behalf of the government," Kunhalikutty had said.