Kerala Story love jihad: ‘The Kerala Story’ screened in Idukki Church as a vacation course to fight ‘Love Jihad’
The screening of the movie was integrated into the course curriculum, where students were encouraged to view the film, engage in discussions with their peers, and subsequently prepare a review. Notably, a section of the curriculum delved into the topic of ‘Love Jihad‘.
Fr Jins Karakkat, the chairman of the diocese’s media commission, explained, “The movie was screened to develop awareness among students. It was part of an activity in the course curriculum to watch the movie, discuss it among peers, and prepare a review. The course also had a portion under the heading ‘Love Jihad’.”
Clarifying the content of the ‘love jihad’ portion, Karakkat emphasized that it wasn’t targeting any specific religion or community. He stated, “Love jihad mentioned in the book is different. We’ve only said that there is a scheme wherein young people are lured, feigning love, to use them for other purposes.”
According to a purported image from the booklet shared on social media, ‘love jihad’ is described as an activity undertaken by extremist organizations. The text further highlights that the police have found no evidence of an organized “love jihad” movement within the Muslim faith.
The booklet claims that those promoting “love jihad” are extremists who employ tactics such as offering love, gifts, and money to lure girls from other religions for their own agendas.Reacting to the Idukki diocese’s decision to screen the film, opposition leader VD Satheeshan criticized the move, stating, “The Kerala Story is not a true story. It was made to insult Kerala. A story was created to say that something which doesn’t exist in Kerala, exists.”On the other hand, BJP state president K Surendran expressed support for the film, asserting that it has garnered backing from various quarters in Kerala. He cited instances of ‘love jihad’ victimization among girls in the state, including reports from Kannur.
While there was no official ban on the movie’s screening in Kerala, its recent telecast on Doordarshan sparked controversy, with the Chief Minister condemning it as a film aimed at spreading hatred against Kerala.
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