Idukki Diocese Screens ‘The Kerala Story’ For Students
The Idukki diocese of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church screened the film The Kerala Story on Sunday. The controversial movie was screened on April 4 as part of the students annual summer catechism classes called “Viswasolsavam”. The diocese had shown the film amidst opposition raised by the state against telecasting it on Doordarshan, national broadcaster.
Father Jins Karakatt, Chairman of the Idukki Diocese Media Commission, told the media that the film was shown to students as part of “enlightenment” against love jihad. The students were asked to watch the movie, hold discussion and write review on it. The film screening, and film reviewing were part of the catechism programme meant for students belonging to classes 10 to 12. A booklet on the theme ‘Love’ was prepared and circulated for that matter. The Chairman said that The Kerala Story was shown as part of the theme selected for the programme.
Even though both political parties, CPI (M) and Congress, were strongly resisted, Doordarshan aired the film on April 5. The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, urged the Doordarshan to withdraw screening of the movie since it would only aggravate communal tensions ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Taking to X, Pinarayi Vijayan wrote: “The decision by Doordarshan National to broadcast the film ‘Kerala Story’, which incites polarisation, is highly condemnable. The national news broadcaster should not become a propaganda machine of the BJP-RSS combine and withdraw from screening a film that only seeks to exacerbate communal tensions ahead of the general elections. Kerala will remain steadfast in opposing such malicious attempts to sow hatred.”
Similarly, the Leader of the Opposition, VD Satheesan, has also strongly condemned the screening of the movie by the public broadcaster.
Meanwhile, Father Jins Karakatt told Manorama news that the movie was screened to “educate youngsters about the dangers lurking behind love affairs and marriage”.
The Kerala Story, helmed by Sudipto Sen was about a group of women from Kerala who were compelled to convert to Islam and join ISIS in Syria. When the movie released last year, both political parties dismissed it as a “propaganda film” and accussed that it is part of the Sangh Parivar”s agenda to malign the state.
