KSU supports Zumba dance in schools
The Kerala Students Union (KSU) on Saturday offered full support to the government's well-meaning work to curb the spread of addictive substances.
Amid opposition from some Muslims groups to introducing Zumba dance in schools as part of a broader anti-drug campaign, Aloshious Xavier, State president of the KSU, said there's no need for controversy over the State government's well-intentioned initiatives against addiction.
'Zumba dance is popular in the State and there's nothing unethical about it. The KSU belives that the controversy is unwarranted,' he said. However, he added that Zumba dance or seizures of contraband drugs from a few cine stars would not suffice to resolve the serious social crisis posed by drug abuse in the student community. 'It requires a deeper intervention,' he added.
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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Despite opposition, Kerala govt to go ahead with Zumba: Minister
Kozhikode: Govt is determined to proceed with its programme of conducting Zumba sessions for students before classes, despite opposition from religious outfits, said general education minister V Sivankutty on Saturday. Addressing a news conference in Kozhikode, Sivankutty said such opposition could introduce more harmful poison into society than drugs and instead of improving the education sector, it could fuel communalism and division. He said there was opposition from certain quarters against implementing physical activities like Zumba, aerobics and yoga in state schools. It is important to understand that these activities are part of anti-drug awareness initiatives, he added. Several Muslim organisations opposed the introduction of Zumba dance sessions in schools as part of general education department's anti-drug campaign, claiming that it undermined morality and promoted boys and girls dancing together. Sivankutty said activities conducted in schools were light exercises and students performed in their uniforms. According to Right to Education (RTE) Act, students must participate in govt-recommended educational processes and parents didn't have a choice in the matter. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Paras Sector 59 Gurgaon | Paras Floret Low-Rise Flats Paras The Florett Book Now Undo Teachers are obligated to follow the department's directives as per conduct rules. Addressing objections from certain groups on perceived issues with dress codes during Zumba, Sivankutty said that no one was asking students to wear scanty clothing. He pointed out that while protests and suppressions against dress codes, including hijabs, occurred in various states, progressive movements have adopted a high democratic cultural stance. "However, some organisations here are taking positions that favour majority communalism. In a society like Kerala, which thrives on unity, such positions only encourage majority communalism," he said. Engaging in physical activities helps children develop mental and physical vitality, health and positive thinking, said Sivankutty. "This positively influences their studies and personal development. Therefore, it is essential to promote such healthy activities," he said. "Govt places significant importance on physical education in Kerala, where lifestyle-related diseases are prevalent. Regular physical participation primarily aims to effectively prevent diseases, reduce mental stress, alleviate anxiety and increase happiness. It also helps develop discipline, perseverance, goal awareness, decision-making abilities, and problem-solving skills in children. Participation in games teaches about rules and etiquette and enhances qualities like honesty, fairness and respect for the law," the minister added. He added that key components of health-related physical fitness, such as cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, are enhanced through activities like walking, jogging, running, swimming, cycling and dancing. Aerobic dance, Zumba dance, and freestyle dance are included in this category, he added. "The rhythmic and continuous movements in dance stimulate blood flow throughout the body, delivering more oxygen and nutrients to all organs and cells. This helps prevent conditions like heart disease and lowers blood pressure. Therefore, regular engagement in long-duration physical activities, including various types of dance, is highly beneficial for improving cardiovascular and respiratory endurance," the minister said.
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
"Criticism is absolutely untrue": CPI(M)'s MA Baby backs Zumba in Kerala schools
Kozhikode (Kerala) [India], June 28 (ANI): CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby said on Saturday backed the Kerala Government's plan to introduce Zumba in schools and said the backlash is 'absolutely untrue' 'This dance form is practised in over 180 countries... It is important for a sound mind and a sound body... The criticism is absolutely untrue. I have seen some videos of participants, they are fully dressed... The State Education Minister has already stated the government would like to proceed with it... Religious orthodoxy should not be brought into the education field...' 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)
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Zohran Mamdani's political upset gives hope to many South Asian Americans, Muslims
The success of Zohran Mamdani in New York City's Democratic primary for mayor is euphoric for Hari Kondabolu, a stand-up comedian who's been friends with the candidate for 15 years. Supporters and pundits agree that Zohran Mamdani's campaign has demonstrated social media savvy and authenticity.(AP) Mamdani stunned the political establishment when he declared victory in the primary on Tuesday, a ranked choice election in which his strongest competition, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, conceded defeat. When he launched his campaign, the unabashed democratic socialist ranked near the bottom of the pack. Now, the 33-year-old state assemblyman has a chance to be New York City's first Asian American and Muslim mayor. Mamdani's family came to the United States when he was 7, and he became a citizen in 2018. He was born to Indian parents in Kampala, Uganda. For Kondabolu, this moment is not just exciting, but emotional. 'I think so many of us have had those experiences in New York of being brown and in a city that has always been really diverse and feels like ours. But after 9/11, like you start to question it like, is this our city too,' Kondabolu said. 'And 25 years later ... it's surreal, like this is the same city but it's not because we've elected this person.' Mamdani's campaign has piqued the interest of many Indian, Pakistani and other South Asian Americans, as well as Muslims — even those who may not agree with Mamdani on every issue. Despite that opposition, some still see his rise as a sign of hope in a city where racism and xenophobia erupted following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. South Asians and Muslims riveted by primary in New York, and beyond Many of New York City's over 300,000 South Asian residents have been inspired by Mamdani's extraordinary trajectory. 'My mom was texting her friends to vote for him. I've never seen my mother do that before,' Kondabolu said. 'So the idea that it's gotten our whole family activated in this way — this is, like, personal.' Snigdha Sur, founder and CEO of The Juggernaut, an online publication reporting on South Asians, has been fascinated by the response from some people in India and the diaspora. 'So many global South Asians ... they're like, 'Oh, this guy is my mayor and I don't live in New York City,'' Sur said. At the same time, some are also concerned or angered by Mamdani's past remarks about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he publicly called a 'war criminal.' In 2005, the U.S. revoked Modi's visa to the U.S., citing concerns that, as chief minister of the state of Gujarat, he did not act to stop communal violence during 2002 anti-Muslim riots that left more than 1,000 people dead. An investigation approved by the Indian Supreme Court later absolved Modi. Rights groups have accused Modi's government of widespread attacks and discrimination against India's Muslims and other minorities. In Michigan, Thasin Sardar has been following Mamdani's ascent online. When he first heard him, he struck him as 'genuine' and he felt 'an instant connection,' he said. 'As a Muslim American, this victory puts my trust back in the people,' said Sardar, who was born and raised in India. 'I am happy that there are people who value the candidate and his policies more than his personal religious beliefs and didn't vote him down because of the color of his skin, or the fact that he was an immigrant with an uncommon name.' New York voter Zainab Shabbir said family members in California, and beyond, have also excitedly taken note. 'My family in California, they were very much like, 'Oh, it's so nice to see a South Asian Muslim candidate be a mayor of a major city,'' she said. A brother told her Mamdani's rise is a great example for his kids, she said. But the 34-year-old — who donated, voted and canvassed for Mamdani — said it was his vision for New York City that was the draw for her. She and her husband briefly chatted with Mamdani at a fundraiser and she found him to be 'very friendly and genuine.' She suspects that for some who aren't very politically active, Mamdani's political ascent could make a difference. 'There's a lot of Muslim communities like my parents' generation who are focused a lot more on the politics back home and less on the politics here in America,' said Shabbir. 'Seeing people like Zohran Mamdani be in office, it'll really change that perspective in a lot of people.' Embracing Indian and Muslim roots Supporters and pundits agree that Mamdani's campaign has demonstrated social media savvy and authenticity. He visited multiple mosques. In videos, he speaks in Hindi or gives a touch of Bollywood. Other South Asian American politicians such as Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna praised that. 'I love that he didn't run away from his heritage. I mean, he did video clips with Amitabh Bachchan and Hindi movies,' Khanna said, referencing the Indian actor. 'He shows that one can embrace their roots and their heritage and yet succeed in American politics.' But his triumph also reflects 'the urgency of the economic message, the challenge that people are facing in terms of rent, in terms of the cost of living, and how speaking to that is so powerful,' the progressive California Democrat added. Tanzeela Rahman, a daughter of Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, said she grew up 'very low income' in New York. 'I felt seen by him in a way politicians have not seen me ever,' the 29-year-old financial systems analyst said. 'I think very few people in government understand … how hard it is to survive in New York City.' She found Mamdani to be 'unabashedly Muslim' and also 'a voice, who, literally, to me sounds like a New Yorker who's stepping in and saying, hey, let's reclaim our power,' she said. While Mamdani has been speaking to the working class, he had a somewhat privileged upbringing. His mother is filmmaker Mira Nair and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a professor at Columbia University. He lived in Queens but attended The Bronx High School of Science. Even as a teen, he cared about social justice, Kondabolu, the comedian, recalled. His campaign messaging on issues such as affordable housing and free bus rides might not resonate with South Asian households in New York City who have income levels above the median. But, the irony is that his campaign and 'great kind of soundbites' earned support from that demographic, too, according to Sur. 'It was, I think, a surprise that he did so well among the wealthiest, including his own community,' Sur said. Mamdani's outspoken support for Palestinian causes and criticism of Israel and its military campaign in Gaza resonated with pro-Palestinian residents, including Muslims, but caused tension in the mayor's race. Some of his positions and remarks on the charged issue have drawn recriminations from opponents and some Jewish groups, though he's also been endorsed by some Jewish politicians and activists. Racism and xenophobia Mamdani's success immediately elicited strong anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric from some high-profile conservatives on social media, including conservative media personality Charlie Kirk who posted that 'legal immigration can ruin your country.' In response, Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost, the youngest member of Congress, tweeted 'For years they sold people the lie of 'we have no problem if you come the right way!'' His supporters aren't concerned that racism and Islamophobia will distract from Mamdani's campaign. Those feelings clearly weren't 'enough for him to lose' the primary, Kondabolu said. 'There's a new generation that wants their voice heard and that generation came out in full force, not just by voting, but by, like, getting all these other people to be emotionally invested in this candidate,' Kondabolu said. 'That's extraordinary.'
