IDUKKI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said it was “good news” that the controversial film The Kerala Story-2 Goes Beyond was not attracting many viewers, while interacting with students at Marian College, Kuttikkanam.
Responding to a student’s question about films being used as propaganda, Rahul Gandhi said, "While the good news is that Kerala Story-2 seems to be empty, and no one is watching it, it also shows that there are people, a majority of them, who have not understood what Kerala is and its traditions and culture are."
The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha spent nearly two hours interacting with students after arriving at the hill campus around 1.30 pm. The discussion covered a wide range of issues, including politics, artificial intelligence, geopolitics and the role of media in shaping public opinion.
Rahul Gandhi said cinema, television and media were increasingly being used as tools for political messaging. “It is used precisely for that purpose— to vilify people, eliminate them and create divisions in society so that certain people benefit while others are harmed. India has become very much like that,” he said.
According to him, such developments were harmful for the country and large amounts of money were being spent for that purpose.
Students also asked questions about his personal interests and daily routine. Rahul Gandhi said he preferred reading to watching films. “As hobbies, I like playing chess and doing martial arts. I swim, run and exercise to keep fit,” he said.
During the interaction, a student invited him to take part in a brief Kalaripayattu practice session. Rahul Gandhi joined the demonstration along with KC Venugopal and Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose, drawing enthusiastic applause from the students.
Reflecting on his years as the MP from Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi said the people of Kerala had taught him important lessons. “I was very surprised when I first arrived there. There was a big landslide that claimed several lives, but I was impressed by how people responded. Even after such a tragedy, they were helping others. It did not matter what community or financial background a person belonged to,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi said Kerala possessed deep cultural traditions and urged students to stay rooted in them while also learning from other parts of the world. He also expressed concern that the country’s education system was facing ideological pressure. “If you look at vice-chancellors in universities, a large number of them were appointed simply because they are part of the RSS or a particular ideology. There is ideological pressure on the education system. Education should not be limited to any particular way of thinking, especially not to the RSS’ divisive view,” he said.
On artificial intelligence, he said India was still behind the United States and China and stressed the importance of controlling national data resources. He also spoke about the geopolitical implications of conflicts in West Asia and the need for India to strengthen its production capacity while preserving its diversity.