Unfazed by backlash, two more Catholic Christian dioceses in Kerala are planning to screen the controversial film ‘The Kerala Story’ during the weekend. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition leader V.D. Satheeshan had criticised the screening of the film by the Idukki diocese recently.
Units of the Kerala Catholic Youth Movement (a youth organisation of Catholic Church) associated with the Thalassery archdiocese and the Thamarassery diocese said they would be screening the controversial film.
The KCYM units said in separate Facebook posts that the film 'The Kerala Story' was not banned and congratulated the Idukki diocese for exhibiting it for its children studying in Classes 10, 11, and 12. "The movie will be exhibited in all units of the KCYM in Thamarassery diocese," the organisation said in a Facebook post.
Directed by Sudipto Sen, 'The Kerala Story' tells the story of a group of women from Kerala who were forced to convert to Islam and join ISIS. Father George Vellackakudiyil, director of KCYM and Syro-Malankara Youth Movement (SMYM) under Thamarassery Diocese told Manorama News that the film might be fictitious, but, KCYM has rescued young Catholic women from abusive inter-faith marriages. "We are particularly concerned when daughters are forced to convert to marry and when parents are denied access to their daughters in interfaith relationships."
Recently, the film was aired on Doordarshan despite opposition from political parties in Kerala. Both CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress-led UDF petitioned against the broadcast of the film on DD channel.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday condemned the screening of the film by Idukki diocese. Vijayan said the film's broadcast was incompatible with Kerala's cultural ethos and criticised its politicisation.