Kochi, April 10, 2024: A church under the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese in Kerala on April 10 showed a documentary on the Manipur violence to students attending its vacation catechism classes.
The Sanjopuram St Joseph’s Church’s move came almost a week after another Kerala diocese screened the controversial movie ‘The Kerala Story” that seems divide Catholics in the southern Indian state.
The documentary “Cry of the Oppressed” on the violence in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur was screened for around 125 students.
Violence between Hindu majority Meiteis and Christian-dominated Kuki-Zo communities has been raging in Manipur since May 3, 2023, killing nearly 200 people and rendering thousands homeless. Hundreds of churches and educational institutions have also been torched.
Parish priest Father James Panavelil said “The Kerala Story” is a propaganda film and that it should not be screened by the Church.
“I was of the view that such a propaganda film should not be in a children’s class. If we do, we too will become part of that propaganda. So, in order to give the message to stay away from that controversy and not forget the violence in Manipur, the 15-minute documentary was shown,” the priest told PTI.
Father Panavelil further said that what happened in Manipur was not an exaggeration or a lie.
“It was something that happened and was condemned by the Church leadership itself. So what is wrong in showing the documentary? Also, we were aware that ‘The Kerala Story’ was not required to be shown,” he added.
Referring to the ‘The Kerala Story,’ the priest said the Church should not be part of a propaganda film, “especially during the elections.”
While speaking to a TV channel, the vicar said that ‘The Kerala Story’, “like ‘The Kashmir Files’ was a planned agenda or propaganda of the Sangh Parivar” and the common people know that.
At the same time, he said he was not going to comment on the beliefs or convictions of those who screened the controversial film by Sudipto Sen which hit theatres last year and whose plot revolves around a group of women from Kerala who were forced to convert to Islam and join the terror outfit ISIS.
The vicar said that the Idukki diocese may have had good intentions with regard to the future of the children, but they could have chosen different content or material for the purpose. “A film like ‘Kappela’ would have been better instead of a propaganda film like this (‘The Kerala Story’),” he said.
On April 8, the Idukki diocese explained that the movie was shown to teenagers as part of an intensive training program to “create awareness about love relationships and their consequences and dangers.”
Following the screening, the Kerala Catholic Youth Movement (KCYM) units associated with the Tellicherry archdiocese and the Thamarassery diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church announced that they too would screen the controversial movie.
On April 9, a division of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council reaffirmed its decision to conduct awareness programs aimed at addressing societal issues and protecting young people from potential negative influences.
Without referring to the film, the Commission for Social Harmony and Vigilance, under the council, issued a statement, claiming that terrorism and betrayals in the name of romantic relationships are a “reality of the time,” and the Church gives cautionary directives keeping this in mind.