Student With Rare Disease Competes Online, Wins at Arts Fest

When Siya Fathima's immune system began attacking her own blood vessels, she thought her dream of competing in India's largest school arts festival was over.

The Kasaragod student wrote directly to Kerala's Education Minister about her painful condition, vasculitis. She asked for something unprecedented: permission to compete from home.

Officials said yes. Siya became the first student in the festival's 64-year history to participate online.

And she didn't just participate. She won an A grade.

Her victory was one of many powerful moments at the 64th State School Arts Festival, which wrapped up Sunday in Kannur. Over 10,000 students competed in everything from drama to dance across Kerala's 14 districts.

The festival also created an unforgettable moment of recognition. Renju Renjimar, a transgender makeup artist, watched a student perform a mono act about her own life story. The performance depicted the struggles transgender people face in Indian society.

Maya Sajan's portrayal was so moving that Renju broke down. So did audience member Ambilikala, who admitted she never understood the full weight of discrimination against the transgender community until she watched the piece.

Ambilikala approached Renju afterward. "All I could do is say sorry to you," she told her, speaking on behalf of society.

Why This Inspires

These moments show why Kerala has invested in its school arts festival for more than six decades. In an age when students could simply post performances on social media, the state chose to gather thousands of young artists in person.

The result? Real empathy. Real understanding. Real change.

Students learned that art can build bridges between communities. They discovered that sharing stories creates compassion in ways that algorithms never will.

Host city Kannur won the championship with 1,028 points, edging out defending champion Thrissur by just five points. Kozhikode came third with 1,017 points.

But the real winners were students like Siya, who refused to let illness stop her dreams, and performers like Maya, whose art helped an audience member finally see her neighbors' humanity.

Kerala's school arts festival proves that when we make room for everyone's voice, everyone wins.