The contentious screening of the allegedly Islamophobic movie, The Kerala Story, by the Syro-Malabar Church in Idukki last week has roiled Kerala politics.
The Idukki Diocese had screened the film to ostensibly alert catechism students about the “peril posed by Islamists who seek to enlist impressionable Christian youth to the jihadist cause by using personal intimacy as an inspirational vehicle for conversion (Love Jihad)“.
The social and political fallout of the much-disputed screening snowballed on Tuesday, impacting the Lok Sabha campaign in Kerala in more ways than one
For one, it has triggered a heated public debate on the perils of using “polarising propaganda” as an electoral strategy at the hustings.
The ruling front and the Opposition seemed equally worried that the movie’s allegedly divisive tone had become the very nature of the production’s arguably surreal appeal among certain sections.
The Left Democratic Front and United Democratic Front fear the Church’s “newfound” focus on the movie’s contentious messaging could foster divisive rhetoric and increase societal polarization during the Lok Sabha campaign phase.
In contrast, the BJP seemed to see an electoral advantage in the Church’s alleged role as a “powerful echo chamber and bullhorn” for the movie’s controversial implications.
Notably, Tushar Vellappally, a Bharath Dharma Jana Sena leader and National Democratic Alliance ally, claimed in Kottayam that Bishops were acutely aware of the peril of Love Jihad, which, he said, the film articulated.
The screening has also arguably caused an idealogical fissure between influential Christian denominations.
The Metropolitan of the Niranam Diocese of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church Geevarghese Mar Coorilos objected to using the allegedly polarising film as an educative tool and cautionary lesson for students in catechism classes.
He termed the movie an outrageous lie that ran against the grain of the Gospel. It played to a political agenda to divide people as “us and them”. The Metropolitan termed “Love Jihad” a malicious lie and malevolent myth.
However, the Kerala Catholic Youth Movement, which works under the Diocese of Thamarassery, said it would screen the film as a cautionary tale for Christian youth. It also endorsed the Idukki diocese screening of the movie.
Indian Union Muslim League State general secretary P.M.A. Salam, a UDF ally, termed the film a Sangh Parivar propaganda push to divide anti-BJP votes by pitting one minority community against another. “Those who screen the film should realize the Sangh Parivar trap and speak about the genocidal ethnic cleansing of Christians in Manipur instead”, he added.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress Working Committee member A.K. Antony warned the public against falling prey to the Sangh Parivar’s machinations to stoke polarization among voters by using divisive propaganda that seeks to demonize a community.
CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan told the media in Idukki that the movie was filled with ‘anti-Kerala, anti-Communist, and anti-Muslim content‘. There is no value for the movie. The movie wasmade by the BJP to tarnish the state’s image. The CPI(M) does not demand a ban on The Kerala Story. Individuals can watch movies on their own. Our earlier stand was that there is no need to screen the movie. The party still follow the same stand, said Mr. Govindan.
Responding to the “Love Jihad” issue, Mr. Govindan said that the Centre had already told Parliament that there was no case of love jihad in Kerala.
