Ugly scenes marred the third day of the Thiruvananthapuram revenue district school arts festival that is under way at Neyyattinkara here.
On Thursday, the Kuchipudi girls (higher secondary school – HSS) event at Government Boys Higher Secondary School in the morning saw protests by participants and their parents who accused the judges of being biased in favour of students taught by a particular teacher. Emotions ran high as they alleged that the results were fixed beforehand and the top position was bagged by an undeserving candidate. In the commotion and heated exchanges that followed, the police had to be called in to maintain order.
Some time later the folk dance competition for girls (HSS) held on the main stage was caught up in a similar row. The result declaration led some of the participants and their parents to complain about getting a raw deal from the judges. They alleged that students taught by the same teacher had benefited in the folk dance event as well, besides Keralanadanam. The students then staged a sit-in on the stage and demanded that the teacher’s students not be allowed to participate in any other event. Their protests drew a large crowd, sending the fete organisers into a tizzy. When the situation threatened to spiral out of control, the police were called in. They acted to vacate the stage, resulting in frayed tempers. But the drama was not over offstage, with a whole lot of accusations, tears, name calling, and jostling between the parties involved. The police presence and the organisers’ plea to lodge appeals to register their grievances had its effect. An hour after the hullaballoo began, the participants for the next event, group dance (upper primary), finally got on to the stage.
Sources said an official from the office of the Director of Public Instruction would examine the appeals and take a decision on the basis of merit.
