Prominent students' organisations have urged the government to conduct the State School Arts Festival without the usual pomp.
In separate press conferences on Saturday, State leaders of the Students Federation of India (SFI) and the Kerala Students Union (KSU) pointed out that students should not be denied platforms to groom their creative talents.
V.P. Sarath Prasad, State joint secretary, SFI, said the festival could be held without glitz and glamour as the State was recovering from the havoc wreaked by the floods in August. Only limited number of events could be held.
K.M. Abhijith, KSU State president, said cancelling the school arts festival to cut costs did not make any sense as it was not related to doing away with expensive celebrations. The event could be held by involving local organisations and the people and reducing the expenditure. The KSU has written to Education Minister C. Ravindranath reiterating this demand, he added.