The Idukki diocese of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church has screened controversial film 'The Kerala Story' for its younger members on Sunday. The film was screened for students from classes 10 to 12. The screening took place as part of catechism classes held at the church.
"The movie was screened to educate youngsters about the dangers lurking behind love affairs and marriage," Fr Jins Karakkat, chairman of the Idukki Diocese Media Commission, told Manorama News.
The students were asked to watch the movie and review it after dicussion withing their groups. The dioceses also circulated a book on the matter among students.
Despite a strong protest raised by the ruling CPM and Congress in Kerala, the Doordarshan had on Friday aired the controversial Bollywood movie 'The Kerala Story'.
The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPM had screened a video, 'The Kerala Story True or Fake?' by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, at various places across the state to debunk the movie. The youth Congress had also expressed strong protest and staged a protest march to the Doordarshan office against the broadcast of the movie.
The CPM and the Congress in Kerala lodged separate complaints with the Election Commission of India against Doordarshan's decision to air the controversial movie, alleging it could potentially polarise society along religious lines and urged the poll panel to intervene and stop its screening.
However, the BJP claimed that the theme of the movie was real and wondered why the Left and the Congress were opposing it.Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had on Thursday condemned Doordarshan's decision and asked the public broadcaster to withdraw from screening the controversial movie, saying it would only "exacerbate communal tensions" ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Vijayan had asked the national broadcaster not to become a "propaganda machine" for the BJP and the RSS.