‘Western invasion, against morals’: Muslim groups oppose Zumba in govt schools

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THE Kerala state government’s decision to introduce Zumba sessions in government schools is facing strong opposition from Muslim groups that claim it violates ‘religious moral codes’. Some have even gone to the extent of comparing Zumba classes to DJ parties where “murders happen”.

In March 2025, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that every government school in Kerala would include a 30-minute Zumba session before the final bell each day.

“Ring a small bell 30 minutes before dispersal. Let the students gather on the ground and dance Zumba to music. It will help them get rid of the stress they carry, and it’s good exercise,” the CM said at the time.

Schools across Kerala adopted daily Zumba sessions from the first week of June. Videos of children and teachers dancing together flooded social media, celebrated as a refreshing change in rigid school routines. But as the sessions gained popularity, some Muslim leaders called press meets to raise their objections.

TK Ashraf, leader of the Wisdom Islamic Organisation, equated Zumba to a DJ party “where people get drunk and where even murders happen”.

Ashraf added, “When such problems exist, introducing Zumba in schools is like opening the door to that culture,” he said. “Often these sessions don’t follow any norms. Female teachers will dance with male teachers and students. Bringing such a culture into schools will be a setback for us.”

Echoing similar “moral objections”, Samastha Kerala Sunni Yuvajana Sangham (SYS) leader Abdussamad Pookkottur said. “All religions are usually against such activities, not just Islam. We already have physical education programmes to ensure students’ physical and mental well-being, so why introduce western culture in schools?” he said.

Abdussamad further said, “They should first appoint physical education teachers in schools. There are many options, such as drill or yoga, which don't belong to the West. We can introduce activities that align with Indian culture instead.”

“When children see men and women dancing and singing together, it will encourage wrong ideas. That is the only reason we are against introducing Zumba in schools. Don’t force this on children,” he added.

Muslim Students Federation (MSF) state president PK Navas demanded evidence from the state government to justify allowing children to dance. 

Insisting that the MSF is not against Zumba, Navas said, “The state government claims it is introducing Zumba to keep children away from alcohol and drugs. If that’s the case, we would like to see reports proving that a few dance steps will achieve that.” He claimed that there are studies suggesting that yoga could have similar effects on children.

Navas also expressed his displeasure over a reel shared by Sports Minister V Abdurahiman, which showed a Zumba training session in a school. “In that reel, it looks like people are dancing at a DJ party. Religious leaders are reacting after seeing that video,” he said. He also claimed that one of the participants was wearing shorts with the sole intention of “irking” Muslim leaders.

The minister’s reel featured women performing Zumba on a stage, with one participant wearing shorts. Defending the outcry, Navas said, “That’s what may have triggered the controversy.”

Navas also said, “They are planning to do Zumba during physical training periods. But in nearly 1,000 schools in Kerala, there are no sports teachers. So who exactly is going to teach Zumba in these schools?” 

Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty has, however, dismissed the uproar, calling it an unnecessary controversy fuelled by a religious angle.

“For the sake of our children and Kerala’s future, this shouldn’t be turned into a controversy,” he told the media persons on June 28. “When there is no controversy, adding a religious angle just to influence people is wrong,” he added. 

He clarified that participation is voluntary and no school has been forced to implement Zumba sessions. “If a student cannot join due to personal reasons, they can simply inform the school. Unfortunately, some people are trying to destroy the personal, physical, and mental benefits children can gain from this, and that’s their loss.”

Sivankutty also pointed out that students are enthusiastic about the programme and will be participating in their school uniforms. “It’s our children, and there is nothing wrong with them doing Zumba together. The problem arises only when people choose to look at it through dirty eyes.”

He added that within a week, a Zumba session at Chandrashekharan Nair Stadium saw the participation of 1,250 students. “We did not check the caste or religion of any of them, and all were appropriately dressed,” Sivankutty added.

Speaking to TNM, Democratic Youth Federation India (DYFI) State Secretary VK Sanoj also defended the move. He said that the Zumba classes are a part of Kerala’s larger fight against drug abuse among children and youth and not an attempt to offend any religious organisations.

“Zumba is being promoted in over 100 countries, and many schools have already introduced it to students,” he said. “The Chief Minister is leading efforts against drug addiction among young people, and as part of this, meetings were held with student organisations, teachers’ groups, and experts in Thiruvananthapuram. Zumba was just one of many projects discussed to support the mental well-being of children,” he said.

Further, Sanoj criticised attempts to give the initiative a communal colour: “Seeing this as a communal issue is a mindset that divides society. Injecting religious elements into such matters is not appropriate for a society like Kerala. It is shocking, especially when we have seen MSF members dancing and singing at programmes. How can a modern society turn its back on the arts?"

Addressing concerns over dress codes, Sanoj added, “Some people are spreading misinformation, claiming this dance is performed in short dresses. This is not true. Students are doing Zumba in their uniforms. The religious organisations making such claims run private schools. There’s an agenda behind these claims. They want to destroy Kerala’s public schools.”

Created in the late 1980s in Cali city, Colombia, as an exercise-dance programme, Zumba has steadily gained popularity. In 1986, aerobics instructor Alberto "Beto" Perez is reported to have forgotten the music cassettes he used for his classes.

Instead, he used a mix-tape of Latin music he found in his car and infused the exercise steps with salsa, merengue and other Latin-origin dance moves. Now, Beto co-owns Zumba Fitness, a business reportedly worth $500 million. 

This is also why Zumba is not considered a true Latin dance form by many Latina instructors, who view it instead as a commercialised fusion primarily designed for fitness.