TIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid the controversy surrounding the scheduled screening of ‘The Kerala Story’ by national broadcaster Doordarshan ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Kerala Catholic Youth Movement (KCYM), under the Thamarassery diocese, also announced the screening of the film in the coming days.
The decision by the diocese to screen the controversial film, which was a portrayal of the missing women from Kerala who were allegedly converted and sold to ISIS as ‘sex slaves’, prompted a strong response from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who alleged that the film only serves to advance the ruling BJP at the Centre, and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) stated in an official release.
Further, according to the official release from the CMO, Vijayan accused the RSS of classifying certain individuals as ‘internal enemies’ of the country, a concept derived from ‘Hitler’s ideology’. CM Vijayan alleged further that the RSS targets minorities, including Muslims and Christians, fostering discord among different sects, according to the statement.
He warned against falling into the trap of division, adding, “Such actions serve a political agenda.” The statement further said the CM deemed the film’s broadcast as incompatible with Kerala’s cultural ethos and criticised its politicisation.
Earlier, the Idukki diocese screened the film to the Sunday school students during their intensive training programme on April 4.
Earlier, coming down heavily on the BJP-led NDA at the Centre earlier over Doordarshan’s decision to telecast ‘The Kerala Story’, CM Vijayan demanded that the national broadcaster refrain from streaming the controversial film as it might “exacerbate communal tensions” ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Taking to his official handle on X, Chief Minister Vijayan posted, “The decision by @DDNationalto 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.”
The film is the story of three girls — Shalini (Adah Sharma), Nimah (Yogita Bihani) and Geetanjali (Siddhi Idnani), who are manipulated by their roommate Asifa (Sonia Balani) into converting to another religion. The movie is divided into two parts: the first half portrays how the girls were manipulated into converting to another religion, while the second half shows Shalini’s journey as Fatima Ba — a converted member of a terrorist group and her imprisonment in Afghanistan.
It also shows how men were allegedly brainwashed into wooing Hindu and Christian women of Kerala in the name of love, convert them and convince them to join war zones. (ANI)