The trailer of the Hindi movie 'Kerala Story', which at first glance appears to be a propaganda film aimed at communal polarisation and conducting a hatred campaign against Kerala, was released last week. It indicates that the film reinforces Sangh Parivar's propaganda of framing Kerala, a land renowned for its secular and progressive values, as the hotbed of religious fundamentalism. Such propaganda films and their incendiary portrayal of Muslim lives are to be viewed against the backdrop of Sangh Parivar's various attempts to make gains in Kerala's electoral politics.
Making 'love jihad', an allegation that has been rebuffed by the Union Home Ministry, investigating agencies and the courts, as its premise, is part of such orchestrated efforts. G Kishan Reddy, the former Minister of State for Home Affairs and current member of the Union Cabinet had stated in the Parliament that 'love jihad' does not exist. Yet, this false allegation has been made the fundamental basis of the film to purposefully malign Kerala in front of the world. The Sangh Parivar is trying to sow the seeds of communal poison and disrupt the atmosphere of religious harmony that exists in Kerala.
The Sangh Parivar's tried and tested tactics have not borne fruit in Kerala, and hence they are trying to promote their divisive politics through films that rely on false narratives. Such tall tales cooked up by the Sangh Parivar have no basis in fact or evidence. What is seen in the trailer, that 32,000 women in Kerala have been converted to Islam and recruited to the Islamic State is an absolute lie. Such a story is the product of Sangh Parivar's lie factory.
It is not right to justify those who misuse cinema only to sow discord and create polarisation in society, citing the freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is not a license to spread lies, communalise the society, and divide the people. I urge all Keralites to reject such divisive and sectarian moves. Everyone should remain vigilant against the communal tactics that seek to unsettle our peaceful society through fake propaganda. Legal measures will be taken against antisocial moves
