MUMBAI: A video allegedly showing an annual function at a municipal Urdu school in Umarkhed taluka of Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district has sparked controversy after going viral on social media, prompting questions about the choice of music and the choreography involving young students.
Students from a govt Urdu school in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, were seen dancing with swords to the Pakistani military war song "Ae Mard-e-Mujahid Teri Yalgaar Kahan Hai".
It's a track used by Pak Army in the 1965 war against India, calling for attacks on "enemies of Islam." pic.twitter.com/6yBL1ALVkY
— Team Hindu United (@TeamHinduUnited) February 9, 2026
पाकिस्तानच्या शौर्यगीतावर महाराष्ट्रात डान्स
"ए मर्द ए मुजाहिद, 'तेरी एल्गार कहा है" या पाकिस्तानी लष्कराच्या शौर्य गीतावर शाळकरी विद्यार्थ्यांचा डान्स. लाहोर-कराची नाही तर यवतमाळ जिल्ह्यातल्या उमरखेडमध्ये उर्दू शाळेतल्या विद्यार्थ्यांनी हा डान्स केला. लहान पोर कसली आक्रमकपणे… pic.twitter.com/44GzOd7K8e
— Saurabh Koratkar (@saurabhkoratkar) February 8, 2026
According to reports, the programme featured children performing with swords to the background of a song widely described as a Pakistani war-era track, “Ae Mard-e-Mujahid Teri Yalgaar Kahan Hai.” The video, shared online, appears to show students enacting aggressive combat gestures during the performance.
A complaint has reportedly been filed against the school administration by BJP corporator Gopal Kalani, who has sought an inquiry into the selection of the song and the nature of the performance at a school event involving minors.
The word “yalgaar,” as per Urdu usage, denotes a sudden military assault or war cry. The song used in the performance has often been described in online spaces as a motivational or martial nasheed, addressing “mujahids” and invoking imagery of religious struggle and armed resistance. Versions of similar compositions have circulated for years, sometimes linked to themes relating to West Asian conflicts (Gaza, Al Aqsa mosque in Israel) and calls for mobilisation of religious Islamic forces.
The viral clip shows young students swinging swords and mimicking combat actions, which has drawn sharp reactions given their age and the setting of a school cultural programme. Critics have questioned whether such themes are appropriate for educational institutions and whether the song’s context was adequately understood before its use.
The Yavatmal incident may not be an isolated case. Online searches indicate that the same song was used for a similar student performance at another school event in Maharashtra in 2023, suggesting a broader pattern of its circulation in cultural programmes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RAOEvnBvVI
It remains unclear whether the track used in the viral video is directly linked to Pakistani war-era compositions from 1965, such as “Ae Mard-e-Mujahid Jaag Zara,” or whether it is a later adaptation that gained traction on digital platforms in recent years.
Local authorities are expected to examine the matter following the complaint, including the circumstances under which the performance was organised and whether guidelines governing school cultural activities were followed.
