Thiruvananthapuram, Jan. 23: A Muslim girl has defied a virtual ban by community leaders to win prizes in classical and folk dances at the state school fest.

The family of V.P. Rubiya, Class X student from Malappuram, has been boycotted by their local community for 12 years because the parents wouldn’t stop their daughter from dancing.

At the fest in Kochi, the 16-year-old stood third in the classical dance forms of Bharatnatyam and Kerala Natanam and fetched an ‘A’ grade in folk dance. She has been topping dance competitions at the sub-district level for four years.

Her father Syed Alavikutty said that after the family moved to the village of Vallauvambram 12 years ago, its mahall committee (the Muslim equivalent of a Christian parish) refused to entertain the family’s application for membership.

The Sunni committee didn’t cite four-year-old Rubiya’s dancing lessons as the reason, Alavikutty said, “but it was absolutely clear that the dominant section had opposed extending membership to my family on this ground”.

The committee, he said, resented his links with a theatre group and his daughter pursuing art forms associated with the Hindu religion. Alavikutty was a member of Kadambari Theatres in Kozhikode and used to act on stage.

“The boycott cast a shadow on my daughter’s future, making it difficult to find a suitable boy from within the community for her,” Alavikutty said.

The committee’s denial of membership deprived the family of Ramazan relief and many other benefits. For instance, the committee refused to issue a certificate endorsing Rubiya’s mother Aamina’s application for medical help from an agency in the Gulf.

Yet, many came forward to help. Rubiya’s teachers at Veeran Haji Memorial Higher Secondary School in Morayur and other well-wishers raised money for her trip to the festival venue.

Her dance masters R.L.V. Anand and Madhusoodanan gave her free lessons and the latter even fetched the costumes for her.

Alavikutty said he prized this support and encouragement more than the awards his daughter had won.

“The boycott will not deter us from imparting proper education to our daughters (Rubiya has a sister in Class III) and nourishing their artistic talents,” the father said. “I’m a firm believer. Therefore, I’m sure Allah would show me the way at the appropriate time.”