Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], June 28 (ANI): Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty on Saturday strongly defended the inclusion of Zumba dance in schools, stating that raising objections to such activities would inject poison that is more deadly than drugs into society.

Responding to the criticism, Minister Sivankutty said, 'No one has asked children to wear minimal clothes. Children are wearing school uniforms and performing this.'

'Engaging in sports will help in developing mental and physical vitality, health and positive thinking in children. This will have a positive impact on their studies and personality development. Therefore, it is essential to encourage such healthy activities,' the minister stated.

He added that Zumba and other physical activities played a crucial role in developing children's mental and physical health, and encouraged positive thinking and personality development.

The Minister also referred to the Right to Education (RTE) Act, saying, 'According to RTE, children must participate in the learning processes prescribed by the government. Parents have no choice in the matter,' he clarified.

On the role of educators, he stressed that teachers were bound by the directives of the education department. 'According to the conduct rules, the teacher is obliged to do what the department prescribes,' Sivankutty said.

He further warned that communalising such issues would disrupt Kerala's long-standing tradition of social harmony. 'In a society like Kerala, where people live together in harmony, such stances will only encourage the majority communalism,' he added.

His remarks came after the state Education Department recently planned to teach Zumba in all schools as part of efforts to drive students away from drug abuse and violence, and to improve their physical and mental fitness.

Last year, ahead of the start of the current academic year, the Education Department provided training to teachers as part of their annual refresher programmes.

Earlier in the day, Muslim groups in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram raised strong objections after the state education department introduced Zumba dance in schools, stating that they couldn't accept girls and boys intermingling, dancing together, or wearing minimal clothing.

The move, as part of its anti-drug campaign, aimed at helping students manage stress through physical activity, drew criticism for allegedly promoting indecent intermingling of boys and girls.

The backlash began after TK Ashraf, a teacher and General Secretary of the Wisdom Islamic Organisation, posted on Facebook that he and his son would not participate in the programme. 'Cannot accept this, and my son and I will not participate in this,' Ashraf wrote in a brief but direct statement opposing the initiative.

Soon after, Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama leader Nassar Faizy Koodathai also posted, calling the Zumba sessions inappropriate and a violation of students' rights. (ANI)