Kerala On January 6, T V Susan, a 52-year-old anganwadi teacher from Edathala in Ernakulam, was going from house to house for a family survey for the state government’s Sampushta Keralam Programme that aims to ensure nutrition to children below six. Over the days she had covered more than 100 houses, many of them belonging to Muslims, without a hiccup.

She was at her 120th house, speaking with an adolescent, who was the only one home at that time, besides a small child. Suddenly, a young man from the neighbourhood arrived on the scene and objected to her taking down the details. ...