THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the demand to ban the controversial film The Kerala Story gets louder, the authorities maintain that there is little scope for the state government to intervene in the issue. Once the Central Censor Board certifies a film, states cannot interfere in its screening, Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian told TNIE.
"The film is produced with the aim of destroying the state’s secular fabric. People should boycott it,” he said. Echoing the demand to ban the film, CPM state secretary M V Govindan had said that a ban would not solve the issue. However, the government should consider the option of banning it. The film is being used by the RSS and BJP for their communal propaganda, he said.
However, social and cultural activists are of the opinion that banning a film or putting curbs on any kind of freedom of expression will only backfire. “Ban is not an option,” a film critic told TNIE.
“Let the film be released here. The response should be by producing a counter-narrative to the film forthwith, rather than banning it.
The ban will give right-wing forces a chance to demand a similar ban on any film, drama or books that they don’t like,” he said. “The position that Kerala is a non-disturbed heaven itself is hypocrisy. Ensuring dialogues and producing a counter-narrative could help withstand the onslaught of majoritarian ideology,” he added.
MOVIE SPREADS HATRED AND UNVERIFIED FACTS,SHOULD BE BANNED: KANTHAPURAM
Kannur : Grand Mufti of India Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar on Saturday came out against the controversial movie The Kerala Story. While inaugurating the valedictory function of the SSF Golden Fifty state conference in Kannur, he demanded to ban the movie which he said spreads hatred among the secular minds of Kerala. “To screen controversial films that spread hatred with unsubstantiated facts is quite unbecoming of the culturally elite society of Kerala. As per the movie, women are being converted to Islam through ‘love jihad’ and sent abroad to join terrorist outfits, which is false propaganda, he said.
IT IS A CAMPAIGN AGAINST KERALA: P K KUNHALIKUTTY
Malappuram: IUML national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty on Saturday asked the state government not to give permission for screening the movie The Kerala Story.’ “The movie is not based on facts. This is not the story of Kerala. The movie is a campaign against Kerala. Kerala is not known for riots, violence and mob lynching. They are trying to make money with sensational content,” he said. He also said the movie would not influence the people of Kerala. “Kerala is known for religious harmony. However, the movie will be used outside Kerala including in Uttar Pradesh to tarnish Kerala’s image,” he added.