Kozhikode: Eleven persons, including the director of an arts and performance centre, have been booked on the charges of instigating religious rivalry following a controversy over the cultural programme staged during the inauguration of the 61st State Schools Art Festival held in Kozhikode earlier this year.
The Perambra-based organisation named Malayalam Theatrical Heritage and Arts or MATHA courted trouble as a person donning the attire of a particular community was shown as a terrorist in a sequence in the dance-drama staged at the Schools Art Festival.
Following complaints a case has been registered under the IPC section on promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, police said.
The action comes following the direction of the Kozhikode Judicial First-Class Magistrate Court.
The issue was first raked up by the Muslim League which condemned the visual presentation, that depicted a Muslim man dubbed as a terrorist being arrested by the Army personnel. Later, State Minister Mohammed Riyas sought an inquiry into the episode following the conclusion of the art fest, held from January 3 to 7.
The CPM Kozhikode district leadership too came out in the open against the cultural programme, and got the backing of the CPM state secretary.
Education Minister V Sivankutty then announced that the Perambra-based NGO, which staged the visual adaptation, would be excluded from the art fest editions henceforth.
However, Kanakadas, director of Matha Perambra, had said that minister Mohammed Riyas congratulated them after they staged the song titled 'Drishya Vismayam,'. He said the team had earlier staged the song in CPM's district sessions as well.
