A petition has been filed at the Kerala High Court seeking to change Kerala University’s youth festival named ‘Intifada’.
The petitioner, a first-year student at a college at Kerala University, alleged that the word is associated with the Israel-Palestine War.
The student sought the court’s direction to remove the festival’s logo. The festival is scheduled to take place from March 7 to 11.
The petitioner said naming this year’s youth festival ‘Intifada’ was “not only confusing but immensely disturbing”.
“Intifada is an Arabic word which means ‘shake-off’. Palestinians use the term to mean ‘civil uprising’. The word was used by the Palestinians in the wake of violence that erupted in Gaza between Palestinians and the Israelis. The term ‘Intifada’ is historically linked with the militant/terror groups like the Hamas of Palestine,” said the student.
Further, the student said the festival’s logo depicts the scarf of Palestine on the map of Israel.
“The map of Israel is superimposed on the logo of the festival. The caption reads ‘the protest of the arts against the invasion.’ The logo or emblem with the caption does not suit the taste or flavour of a purely art and cultural festival. Instead, it would result in the creation of division in the student fraternity,” the petitioner argued.
The petitioner also mentioned that he sent letters to the Governor Arif Mohammed Khan (who is also the Chancellor) and the Vice-Chancellor seeking action, but no action has been taken yet.
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