Something unusual is always happening in Kerala. At times, it genuinely feels like the state is trying to live up to its tag of being “number one” in everything.
The latest incident that’s now a major talking point happened today when the state Education Minister, V. Sivan Kutty, asked Chinmaya School in Attukal, Thiruvananthapuram, to celebrate Christmas.
In a video circulating online, Sivan Kutty can be heard saying that the school had collected ₹60 from every student for Christmas celebrations. Later, the school returned the amount, stating that the celebrations had been cancelled. Apparently, one of the parents complained to the minister about this, following which he intervened and asked the school to hold the festival.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1QLHT9z3re
It’s important to note that Chinmaya School is a Hindu-managed school, run by the Chinmaya Mission, founded by Swami Chinmayananda, who propagated the Upanishadic concept of Advaita. Advaita philosophy speaks about the oneness of existence. The organisation consistently emphasises the need to see unity in everything around us, urging people to rise above divisions of religion and caste that exist in society.
Being a private, Hindu-managed institution, the school should have the right to operate according to its own policies, as long as no laws are violated. Being affiliated with a particular ideology, the school should also have the right to decide whether or not to celebrate a festival. However, incidents like this suggest that such autonomy may not always be respected for institutions run by Hindu organisations.
Sivan Kutty, in the video, says that everyone has the right to celebrate any festival in Kerala, be it Onam, Ramadan, or Christmas. But there’s a key issue with that argument. In addtion to being the official state festival, Onam has been highly secularized in Kerala and is no longer generally treated as a Hindu festival. Even mentioning Vamana in connection with Onam can invite the ire of Communists and pseudo-secular individuals.
This raises several questions. Today, he asked a Hindu-managed school to celebrate Christmas, which is believed to be the birthday of Christ. Will Christian- or Muslim-managed schools also be asked to celebrate Krishna Janmashtami, marking the birth of Sri Krishna?
If the aim is truly to demonstrate secular credentials, there are other opportunities before the education minister. Mahashivaratri falls on February 26, 2026. Will all schools be asked to celebrate it? In fact, Sabarimala Mandala Pooja, the biggest event at Sabarimala, is happening on December 27, just two days after Christmas. Will schools across the state be asked to celebrate it? No, they won’t. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if disciplinary action is taken against any school that chooses to celebrate any of these festivals.
Kerala is increasingly becoming a state where one may need to think twice or even thrice before following one’s way of life, particularly if he/she is Hindu. A few recent incidents illustrate this:
Ganapati Homam in Kozhikode: Last year, a Hindu-managed school near Kozhikode conducted a Ganapati homam for the inauguration of a new building, and that too at night. Local Communists disrupted the ceremony, and school authorities were reportedly arrested. An inquiry was ordered into the incident by the government.
Gurupoornima Celebrations: Several schools celebrated Gurupoornima a few months ago. This too became controversial, with the same education minister ordering an inquiry over the “Padapooja” ritual where students wash the feet of teachers.
https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2025/07/12/kerala-education-teacher-worship-condemned.html
Patriotic Song at Vande Bharat Inauguration: During the inauguration of the Vande Bharat train, a few school students sang a patriotic song. The education minister reportedly ordered an inquiry because it was identified as an RSS “gana geetham.”
These events raise a broader question: Why is secularism in Kerala so selective? And when will Keralites open their eyes and see things for what they truly are?
