Screening 'The Kerala Story' is akin to endorsing RSS propaganda: Whistleblower priest Fr. Panavelil
Fr. James Panavelil, known for his 2021 whistleblowing speech on growing extremist tendencies among Kerala Christians, condemned the screening of the movie 'The Kerala Story' on Tuesday, calling it highly deplorable.
"We know films like 'The Kashmir Files' and 'The Kerala Story' carry propaganda. Screening this movie, especially close to the Lok Sabha elections, amounts to endorsing such propaganda. It's regrettable that the Catholic community is exposing young minds to such bias. The Church should maintain sobriety and avoid such mistakes," he told Mathrubhumi.com.
"With the screening, the Idukki diocese appears to be swearing its allegiance to the Sangh Parivar (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh). Jesus preached brotherhood, humanity, and equality. Acts like this contradict his teachings, promoting factionalism, communalism, polarization, and hatred. This pursuit is highly deplorable," he noted.
Idukki Diocese screened the film last week for students of classes 10, 11, and 12, and asked them to discuss the film and write a review about it. The development has become a political hot potato and Panavelil's response comes at this juncture.
"If the issue is about fake love or deceit in relationships, it can be addressed without singling out any religion or community," Panavelil added.
Interestingly, Sanjopuram St. Joseph's Church, under the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church, of which Panavelil is the vicar, has been planning to screen a documentary on the Manipur issue for the youngsters. According to Panavelil, the screening is a counterstatement to the present development.
Panavelil is known for his whistleblowing speech on Catholics aligning with the Sangh Parivar, pointing to the emergence of an Islamophobic section within the Catholic community in Kerala. During his 2021 Independence Day special parish speech Panvelil used the term 'Chrisanghi' (which denotes far-right Christians in Kerala), highlighting the importance of love and spirituality over religiosity. He has been involved in inclusive initiatives such as LGBTQIA+-themed Christmas stars, and embracing inclusivity by washing the feet of women during the Maundy Thursday ceremony. He has been constantly falling victim to cyberbullying by Christian fundamentalist groups and far-right loyalists for these pursuits.
In the meantime, the youth organisations associated with two more dioceses in Kerala have decided to screen the controversial movie 'The Kerala Story'. 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.