Thiruvananthapuram

The Kerala government on Sunday issued a strong warning against any attempt to communalise educational institutions, saying schools would not be allowed to function as “communal laboratories,” amid reports that certain private school managements had imposed curbs on Christmas celebrations.

The controversy emerged after the CPI(M) mouthpiece Deshabhimani published a report alleging that a few Sangh Parivar-affiliated schools and a Hindu management-run private school had cancelled Christmas celebrations and refunded money collected from students. Both the RSS and the management of the school named in the report have denied the allegations.

Reacting sharply, General Education Minister V Sivankutty said such incidents were alien to Kerala’s social fabric, which is rooted in secular values and democratic consciousness. He announced that an urgent inquiry has been ordered to verify the claims.

“No one will be allowed to impose north Indian models of religious polarisation in Kerala’s schools,” Sivankutty told reporters, stressing that educational spaces must foster unity rather than division.

He said schools are meant to be environments where children from different religious and social backgrounds learn and grow together, and any effort to inject communal thinking among students would not be tolerated.

The minister pointed out that festivals like Onam, Christmas and Eid have traditionally been celebrated collectively in Kerala’s schools, helping inculcate values of mutual respect, coexistence and harmony from an early age.

Sivankutty described the reported act of cancelling celebrations after collecting money from students and later refunding it as “cruel,” saying it deeply hurt children emotionally.

“All schools, whether aided or unaided, are bound by the Constitution, existing education laws and rules, and have a responsibility to uphold secular principles,” he said.

Warning of strict action, the minister said schools would not be allowed to function as platforms for narrow political or communal agendas. “Selective restrictions on celebrations associated with any particular community amount to discrimination and will not be accepted,” he added.

He also reiterated that the dignity and inclusive tradition of Kerala’s public education system would be protected at all costs.

The minister addressed the media following the publication of the Deshabhimani report. When contacted, an RSS functionary denied that any such directive had been issued by the organisation.

“There is no question of taking such a decision. We are not opposed to cultural celebrations of any kind,” the RSS leader told PTI.

Similarly, the management of the Hindu-run school named in the report clarified that Christmas celebrations had not been banned. However, it said cutting cakes during celebrations had been restricted due to concerns over possible food poisoning, while other Christmas-related programmes would go ahead as planned.

Sivankutty said officials have been instructed to submit a detailed report after conducting an immediate inquiry into the matter.

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The minister also noted that complaints had been received from parents and students regarding the conduct of compulsory special classes during the upcoming Christmas holidays. He said such classes should not be held during vacations.