As political parties vie for the support of Kerala's significant Christian community, which constitutes 18% of the state's population, the battleground of the Lok Sabha election has expanded to include screenings of two films organized by churches. While certain dioceses are hosting viewings of 'The Kerala Story', another church has opted to showcase a documentary highlighting the violence in Manipur.
This cinematic showdown has transformed the Kerala electoral landscape into a clash between movies and churches. The controversy surrounding the 2023 film 'The Kerala Story' sparked a significant debate in the state. However, the screening of a documentary from Manipur has seemingly escalated the situation into a head-to-head 'movie vs movie' battle.
The decision to present the documentary 'Cry of the Oppressed', depicting the prolonged unrest in Manipur, is viewed as a response to the screenings of 'The Kerala Story' by certain dioceses and a Christian youth organization in Kerala, as per the Vypeen Sanjopuram Church of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese.
At the core of this clash lies the endeavor to attract voters from the Christian community, which holds considerable sway in Kerala's electoral landscape. Notably, Kerala boasts the highest number of Christians in India.
It's crucial to recognize that the Christian demographic in Kerala isn't monolithic. While Catholic and Syrian Christians have shown inclinations towards the BJP in recent times, Protestants and Latin Christians have maintained distance from the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
Certain Christian communities, via churches and clergy, have facilitated the BJP's penetration into a state predominantly dominated by the LDF and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). This dynamic underscores the church-versus-church conflict unfolding in Kerala.
The screening of 'Cry of the Oppressed' attracted over 100 Bible school students, as reported by Kerala Kaumudi. This move to juxtapose the Manipuri documentary against 'The Kerala Story' screenings seems to have divided the Christian community in the state.
Father James Panavelil of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese emphasized the significance of shedding light on the plight faced by the church amidst the turmoil in Manipur. He criticized 'The Kerala Story' as a propaganda film and advocated for 'Cry of the Oppressed' to remind people of the realities in Manipur.
While the Left Democratic Front and the Congress-led United Democratic Front condemned the screenings as an RSS agenda, the BJP denied any involvement in 'The Kerala Story' screenings, refuting allegations of polarizing voters. The controversy surrounding these screenings underscores the strategic significance of the Christian vote bloc, which holds the potential to sway numerous constituencies in Kerala.
