Syro-Malabar Church youth organisations to screen controversial movie 'The Kerala Story'

Kozhikode: After the Idukki diocese of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, youth organisations associated with two more dioceses in Kerala have decided to screen the controversial movie 'The Kerala Story', which tells the story of a group of women from Kerala who were forced to convert to Islam and join ISIS.

The Kerala Catholic Youth Movement (KCYM) units associated with the Thalassery archdiocese and the Thamarassery diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church announced that they would screen the movie directed by Sudipto Sen.

The KCYM units of the two north Kerala dioceses 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.

Amid criticism from the Congress and the CPI(M) against the national broadcaster Doordarshan for screening the Bollywood movie, the KCYM unit of the Thalassery archdiocese sought to know why they were scared.

"Dear politicians, why are you scared? To whom are you trying to appease?" said an FB post of the KCYM unit of Thalassery archdiocese, apparently taking a dig at the Congress and the CPI(M).

It also congratulated the Idukki diocese for screening the movie and announced that the film would be screened at various parts of the archdiocese.

As news of the screening of the controversial movie hit headlines, the Idukki Diocese on Monday came out with an explanation, claiming that the movie was shown to "create awareness about love relationships and its consequences and dangers".

Fr Jins Karakkat, the media in-charge of the Idukki diocese, said they conduct an intensive training programme for children every year during vacation.

Specific topics are selected for the programme, and books are prepared for it, he said.

"This year, the programme was held on April 2, 3, and 4. The theme of the textbooks prepared for the children of Classes 10, 11, and 12 was love relationships," the priest had said.

Despite a strong protest raised by the ruling CPI(M) and Congress in Kerala, Doordarshan last week aired the controversial movie 'The Kerala Story'.

Cutting across politics, leaders of various political parties in Kerala, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan, strongly criticised the screening of the movie by the public broadcaster.

Vijayan condemned Doordarshan’s decision and asked it to withdraw the decision, saying it would only "exacerbate communal tensions" ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

He also asked the national broadcaster not to become a "propaganda machine" for the BJP and the RSS.