As part of an anti-drug initiative, the Kerala government introduced Zumba classes in schools to encourage fitness, discipline, and well-being among students. What began as a progressive and health-centric move has now become the latest flashpoint between modern governance and medieval mindsets. Several Muslim organisations, including the Wisdom Islamic Organisation and Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, have objected to these classes claiming that boys and girls dancing together, even in school uniforms, is a violation of their religious and moral codes.
From objecting to yoga and Vande Mataram to now calling Zumba ‘vulgar’, the question remains: how long will regressive voices dictate public policy? As India marches ahead in science, health, and innovation, Kerala’s experience is a reminder of the ongoing clash between a modern Bharat and those stuck in a dogmatic past. This is not just about Zumba. It’s about who gets to shape the future of our children: educators or fundamentalists.
Zumba for Fitness: A Vision for Healthier Students
The introduction of Zumba in Kerala schools came as a breath of fresh air in a society struggling with rising cases of youth drug abuse. Designed as part of the state’s larger anti-narcotics campaign, these sessions are meant to channel students’ energy into positive, fitness-oriented activities. Zumba, a globally popular dance-based aerobic workout, is known to improve mental and physical well-being, reduce academic stress, and instill discipline.
Several schools, particularly in Kasaragod and Malappuram districts, began offering voluntary Zumba sessions in school uniforms during class hours. Videos of enthusiastic students dancing and enjoying the sessions quickly went viral on social media.
Education Minister V. Sivankutty highlighted that the move is in full compliance with Right to Education norms, and aimed at enhancing students’ holistic development. “No one has been asked to wear minimal clothes,” he clarified, slamming objections as “spreading poison more dangerous than drugs.”
Objections from Religious Hardliners
However, the initiative soon came under fire from Islamic fundamentalist groups. TK Ashraf, general secretary of the Wisdom Islamic Organisation, publicly declared that his son would not participate, calling the sessions inappropriate. Similarly, Nasar Faizy Koodathai of the influential Samastha group labelled the move as “an imposition of vulgarity” and a “violation of personal freedom.”
Their primary objection? Boys and girls dancing together. Ironically, students performed the Zumba routines fully clothed in school uniforms. But for these religious outfits, even basic physical exercises under state supervision was unacceptable.
They claimed the program undermined Islamic values and promoted immorality. This is not the first time religious fanatics have interfered in secular education policy. From yoga to Vande Mataram, and even to polio vaccination in the past, regressive elements have consistently sought to impose medieval mindsets on modern institutions. Their fight isn’t against Zumba alone it’s against every step forward.
A Pattern of Obstruction to Modernity
The current uproar over Zumba fits a disturbing pattern of resistance from certain sections of society toward anything that symbolizes progress or national integration. In 2015, these same groups opposed Yoga Day, calling it a Hindu ritual. In 2006, Darul Uloom declared Vande Mataram ‘anti-Islam’, and Jamiat followed with a fatwa in 2009 against the national anthem. During the early 2000s polio campaign, rumours were spread in Muslim-dominated districts of UP and Bihar that the vaccine caused infertility. The result? Resistance to life-saving medicine and delays in India’s eradication campaign. UNICEF itself expressed concern as over 50% of polio cases in UP were among Muslims due to this misinformation.
Whether it’s science, health, fitness, or patriotism, a certain section appears bent on obstructing every avenue of national progress. The pattern is clear: oppose integration, oppose wellness, oppose nation-building and all under the pretext of religion.
Why This Matters Beyond Zumba
The resistance to Zumba in Kerala schools is not just a minor controversy. It reveals the deeper ideological struggle between governance and regressive orthodoxy. When a health initiative is twisted into a communal issue, it risks pushing India back by decades.
This episode must be viewed through the lens of national interest. Are we going to let fringe groups hijack the health, education, and future of our children? Or will India stand firm in its resolve to build a modern, scientifically aware, and healthy generation?
Time to Choose Progress or Regression?
The Zumba controversy is a litmus test for the country. If Kerala a state with high literacy and social indicators can fall prey to such orthodox pressure, what about the rest of India? We cannot let our classrooms become battlegrounds for religious insecurities.
This isn’t about dance or exercise. It’s about who controls the narrative of India’s future those who believe in science, health, and unity, or those who resist everything modern in the name of outdated dogma. Zumba is just the trigger; the real issue is the direction in which we want to take this country.
India must rise above such objections and affirm its commitment to inclusive, secular, and forward-thinking education. Let schools be places of learning, not arenas of religious interference. It’s time we draw a line: for the sake of our children, our classrooms, and the India we believe in.