Muslim girl debuts at Kerala Kalamandalam, first time in institute's history
Thrissur (PTI): For 16-year-old Sabri, a Muslim girl, donning the traditional Kathakali makeup and attire to perform a nearly 40-minute-long 'purappadu' to mark her debut at the Kerala Kalamandalam here on Thursday will be one she will perhaps never forget.
It was the first time a non-Hindu girl performed this on stage at this 95-year-old university established in 1930. "It was a great experience," Sabri told PTI when she got off the stage after performing 'purappadu', the introductory segment of the dance performance.
"There was no tension, but the weight of the costume was very heavy as it was the first time I was wearing it. Once I got on stage, everything went smoothly," she said, all out of breath.
Her proud father, Nizam Ammas, a photographer by profession, echoed her words -- "it was great" -- when asked about Sabri's performance.
Sabri performed the 'purappadu' of the 'Krishna vesham' -- her favourite -- on the Kalamandalam stage along with several of her classmates in the evening.
She underwent several hours-long makeup and costume process before she took to the stage at around 8 pm, her father said.
Earlier in the day, speaking to PTI, the 16-year-old said that her "dream was going to become a reality" and that it was difficult to find words to express her excitement.
"I am happy I am getting to perform the dance that I always wanted to," she added.
Sabri, whose day starts at 4.30 am and ends 12 hours later at the institute, is excited to be there and intends to pursue a career in dance, especially Kathakali. She is also interested in learning 'chutti', the intricate facial makeup of Kathakali performers. "It will be there as a subject next year," she said.
Sabri said that initially things were a bit tough, but now her dance and academic studies were going on smoothly.
She is the first Muslim girl to be enrolled in the dance institution after it opened its doors to girls in 2021.
However, it was due to her father's relentless efforts and the insistence of Kalamandalam Gopi, a famed dance instructor at the institution, that she gained admission to the Kerala Kalamandalam.
Nizam, a Kollam native, said that he noticed his daughter's inquisitiveness about the art forms and colours used in the dance makeup when she used to accompany him on some of his photo assignments related to cultural activities.
As she grew, he asked her whether she would be interested in studying Kathakali and Sabri enthusiastically agreed, Nizam recalls.
"So, I carried out some research as to which would be the best place for her to learn dance and that year, 2021, I came across a circular which said that the Kerala Kalamandalam was going to open its doors to girls," he said.
But, Sabari was in class 6 back then and the institute admits students only from class 8, he said.
Besides that, some preparatory work had to be done prior to joining there and therefore, Nizam looked for and found a dance instructor to give a preliminary training in dance to his daughter.
"She practised under him for six months, then everything was closed due to Covid and after the lockdown was lifted, she again studied under him for some more time. In 2023, she was ready for class 8 and we applied for admission to the institute," he told PTI.
As the institute gets numerous applicants and the seats are few, it turns away many students on technical grounds, Nizam said.
The institute had cited Sabri's age as a ground to reject her application, but Gopi 'ashaan' (teacher) told the institute that as she comes from a different community, she should be admitted.
"It is due to his insistence that my daughter was admitted. He was also the one to teach her the initial 'mudras'," Nizam said.
Giving details about his daughter's daily routine at the institute, he said that her day starts at 4.30 am and the practice and study would go on till around 1 pm.
From 1 pm to 4.30 pm, they would engage in regular academic studies, he said.
There was no objection from their family against her studying the dance form, he added.
"In any case, as far as I am concerned, since she was interested in learning the dance form, I wanted to let her study it. I believe there is no need to bring religion into art. I just see all this as part of her studies," Nizam said.
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Standoff between Delhi, Shimla police after arrest of 3 Youth Congress activists
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Shimla/New Delhi (PTI): In an ugly face-off, Himachal Pradesh police on Wednesday registered a kidnapping case against Delhi police personnel and "detained" their vehicles at the Shogi border near Shimla when they were heading back to the national capital with three Youth Congress members arrested in connection with the "shirtless protest" at the AI Summit.
"A case has been registered against 15-20 unknown people in plain clothes for forcibly taking three people staying in a resort in Rohru. They also took the CCTV installed in the resort with them and did not give any receipt," a statement issued by the Shimla police said.
The Delhi police had earlier on Wednesday said it had arrested three Youth Congress activists in connection with the February 20 protest at AI Impact Summit from a hotel in Chirgaon area of Rohru subdivision of Himachal's Shimla district.
Saurabh, Siddharth and Arbaz were apprehended by the Special Cell of Delhi Police. They were produced before a local court, which granted transit remand to enable the police to bring them to Delhi for further questioning, an official of the Delhi police said in the national capital.
Himachal Police sources claimed they intercepted three vehicles in Shimla and Solan districts and brought them back to Shimla as the Delhi police had not taken transit remand.
Both the Shimla police and the Delhi police accused each other of hampering the investigation.
The sources in Himachal Pradesh police claimed the team from Delhi carried out the operation in Shimla without informing the local police.
Acting on this, Himachal Pradesh police intercepted three vehicles carrying the accused -- who are reportedly not residents of Himachal Pradesh -- and Delhi Police personnel.
Two vehicles were stopped in Shimla, while the third was intercepted near Dharampur in Solan district. Around 20 people, including police personnel, were detained, the source said.
The Delhi police personnel again tried to leave for the national capital but were intercepted at Shogi border on Wednesday night on the road to Chandigarh and not allowed to leave.
In a video that appeared from the Shogi border in the suburbs of Shimla city, the Delhi police officers were heard saying that they had arrested three people in the morning in connection with an FIR registered on February 20.
VIDEO | Shimla: A jurisdiction dispute has erupted after the Delhi Police detained three Youth Congress workers in connection with an AI Summit protest pic.twitter.com/H7o7eaYOb8
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 25, 2026
"We have to produce the accused arrested at 5 am today in the court in 24 hours, and you have stopped us after registering an FIR at 8 pm," an officer of the Delhi police said.
However, the Shimla police officers maintained that a case of abduction has been registered and the Delhi police is hampering the investigation.
They alleged that the Delhi police carried out an illegal operation at Rohru without informing the local police and no papers of arrest were shown.
"I asked you for a legal document in the morning, but neither have you shown any document nor the FIR number and nor have you taken the transit remand," the officer of Shimla police is heard saying.
The "shirtless" protest at Bharat Mandapam on February 20 had triggered a major security response, with police earlier invoking charges including rioting and promoting enmity under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib and former national spokesperson Bhudev Sharma were arrested in connection with the case on Tuesday. Both were produced before a Delhi court and remanded to police custody for interrogation.
According to the Delhi police, a total of 11 people have been arrested so far.
Earlier, on Saturday midnight, Delhi Police had raided Himachal Sadan in the national capital amid reports that Youth Congress workers who had participated in the protest were provided accommodation there.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had termed the action "unfortunate and against constitutional procedure".
A Delhi court on Wednesday extended by four days the police custody of five of the arrested in the case.
Arguing that the incident was not spontaneous but executed after prior planning, the Delhi police said that the initial probe revealed structured allocation of roles, concealment tactics and coordinated post-incident movement.
It, however, said that the entire conspiracy, including its hierarchy, funding and inter-state coordination, needed to be unearthed.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Mridul Gupta extended the custodial interrogation of the accused -- Krishna Hari, national secretary of the Youth Congress from Bihar; Kundan Yadav, state general secretary of Bihar; Ajay Kumar Singh, state vice-president of eastern Uttar Pradesh; and Narasimha Yadav, national coordinator of IYC from Telangana.
Meanwhile, the Delhi police on Wednesday denied permission to the Delhi Youth Congress to hold a dharna at Jantar Mantar in national capital on February 26, citing short notice and prevailing law and order concerns.
The Delhi Youth Congress had called the dharna on Thursday against the police action on IYC members who had taken part in the February 20 protest.
