Tamil Nadu is on high alert ahead of the release of the controversial film ‘The Kerala Story‘. The movie is scheduled to release on May 5th, 2023, and it has already garnered a lot of attention due to its controversial content. The government is keeping a close eye on the situation, and the intelligence wing has taken note of the messages on social media from various groups calling for protests.
The Concerns
The movie has already faced protests from some Islamic groups who have approached the police in a few districts seeking a ban. However, the government has not banned it, and even Kerala, where the movie is set, has not banned it either. Instead, the alerts have been relayed to all law enforcement agencies to remain on high alert.
Reports have surfaced that the intelligence wing has recommended that the government “must not release The Kerala Story.” However, a government official confirmed that these reports are incorrect. The intelligence officers have not given any such recommendation, and the government has not taken any decision on it.
The Supreme Court’s Verdict
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court refused to entertain pleas for stalling the release of The Kerala Story and directed the petitioners to approach the Kerala high court, where similar petitions are pending. The Muslim clerical body Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind had approached the top court after the movie’s trailer was released. The petitioners have said that the film demeans the entire community and will endanger the lives and livelihood of Muslims.
The Petition’s Demands
Besides seeking a stay on the movie’s release, the petition sought a disclaimer stating that the film is a work of fiction and its characters bear no resemblance to any person living or dead. The petition claimed that the movie begins by flashing a note that it has been inspired by true events. Still, it is falsely stated that 32,000 girls have left Kerala for West Asia to join ISIS, while the actual number is much lower.
The Reaction
Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, accused the “Sangh Parivar” and the makers of the film of “sowing the poisonous seeds of communalism” and described the movie as propaganda. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor offered Rs. 1 crore to anyone who could prove that 32,000 women in Kerala were forced to convert to Islam. National award-winning cinematographer P C Sreeram from Tamil Nadu tweeted on Wednesday, “What is this ‘The Kerala Story’? Is it the same as the famous obscene propaganda film ‘Kashmir files’?”
Conclusion
Tamil Nadu is on high alert ahead of the release of the controversial movie ‘The Kerala Story’. The intelligence wing is keeping a close eye on social media messages from various groups calling for protests. While some Islamic groups have demanded a ban on the movie, the government has not banned it, and even Kerala has not banned it either. The Supreme Court has directed the petitioners to approach the Kerala high court where similar petitions are pending. It remains to be seen what will happen after the release of the movie.
Source: Hindustan Times
