A new educational initiative in the southern Indian state of Kerala has drawn fire from religious leaders after the government introduced Zumba classes in public schools.
The programme, which is aimed at improving physical fitness and deterring drug use among students, includes a mix of dance-based workouts, yoga, and mindfulness activities. The fitness drive was introduced in the current academic year by Kerala government under chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
While Kerala’s education minister has clarified that the sessions involve light exercise and are conducted with students in their school uniform, both Muslim clerics and Hindu nationalist figures have accused the government of promoting immorality. The unlikely alliance has led to a growing backlash against the Left-leaning government, with protests and calls to scrap the programme in favour of more “culturally acceptable” alternatives.
Education minister and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, V Sivankutty, has said Zumba, along with yoga and aerobics, is intended to create a healthy and engaging school environment.
“There have been objections from some quarters against implementing sports activities like zumba, aerobics and yoga in the state’s schools. However, it’s important to understand that these activities are being introduced as part of an anti-drug programme,” Mr Sivankutty said on Saturday, according to The Print.
“Such objections, rather than improving the education sector, will inject a poison more potent than drugs into society, fostering communalism and division.