Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) officials clarified that the documentary “Manipur: Cry of the Oppressed” is not an alternative to the movie The Kerala Story, which throws light on love jihad in Kerala. They stated that it is a foolish attempt to divert attention from the relevant topic portrayed in The Kerala Story.
KCBC Vigilance Commission Secretary Father Michael Pulikal wrote an article that Deepika (run by Catholic priests) published. Various dioceses in Kerala screened The Kerala Story to their communities and encouraged them to watch it on Doordarshan. Fr Pulickal is the Secretary of the Social Harmony and Vigilance Commission (KCBC Jagratha Commission), an official body of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC).
The KCBC wants to transform society based on justice, peace, and love. The commission’s primary missions are to encourage a fearless public voice to question injustice, awaken social awareness, and promote inclusive development.
Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church mouthpiece Satyadeepam criticised The Kerala Story screening. They screened the documentary “Manipur: Cry of the Oppressed”.
Controversial vicar Panavelil James Nidhin St. Joseph’s Church, Sanjopuram, under the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, opined that the Kerala story is part of the Sangh Parivar’s agenda. Panavelil claimed that “Everyone knows The Kashmir Files (2022) and The Kerala Story are part of the propaganda. The atrocities that Manipur Christians suffered are no different from the other horrors Christians suffered the world over.”
“Even small children tell me (after watching The Kerala Story) that this is not our Keralam. If even children can realise that what they (The Kerala Story) are saying about Kerala is wrong, I think the educated general public, especially those in Kerala, can understand it (that The Kerala Story is mere propaganda).”
“Some figures were laid out in the Kerala story. They (the producers?) had to correct those numbers.” Because those were all inflated figures, they must be verified and investigated or rejected. Panavelil was hinting about the 32,000-odd Malayali non-Muslims entrapped by jihad as portrayed in The Kerala Story.
Even if one Hindu girl got entrapped, moved into an ISIS warzone, was sold for prostitution and ended up behind bars, it does not look good for a civilised society. Panavelil was just parroting what his communist/Congress leaders had repeated all along. Communist/ Congress leaders and liberals have tried to portray The Kerala Story as nothing but an attempt to tarnish Kerala’s image using fake numbers.
Unless society accepts the existence of grooming jihad, nothing much will change on the ground. It will encourage the fundamentalist Islamists behind such evil schemes like grooming, economic, and population jihads.
“The Church has officially stated its opinion on the Manipur issue,” Panavelil continued. Did he mean that the Church agrees with his statement about Christian genocide in Manipur? The KCBC reply seems to suggest it does not. The KCBC arguments came when the Ernakulam-Angamali Archdiocese criticised The Kerala Story.
Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) released videos featuring Christian priests authenticating grooming jihad and the parents of victims trapped in love jihad.
https://www.facebook.com/casakannuronline/videos/1420969648565085
Christian leaders and Bishops have said that what is going on in Manipur is not a religious conflict but a tribal conflict between two historically hostile tribes. The “war against drugs”, “Operations against SoO Suspension of Operations) militants”, and “Fight against illegal migrants from Myanmar” have their place in the violence. Still, the involvement of a third element is visible, said Archbishop Dominic Lumon of Imphal In June 2023.
(Other concerns include opium cultivation, political representation, land, religion, and reservations.)
Since 3 May 2023, Manipur has been plagued by ongoing violence. The SoO agreement with 25 armed Kuki groups in Manipur was signed on 22 August 2008 between the Congress government in Delhi, the Manipur state Congress government, and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO).
The militant groups agreed to stop all forms of violence. The Centre and the state decided that no force (army, paramilitary, state police) would launch operations against the signatories if they abide by the agreement’s terms. Kuki groups allegedly use stocked arms and ammunition looted from government armouries against Meitei civilians.
The suspension of the SoO by the state last March is also seen as one of the factors behind the ethnic violence that has roiled the state since May. A High Court order that said the state should ensure Meiteis get Scheduled Tribe (ST) status sparked protests by Kukis that turned violent.
Conflicts over reservations were observed between the two communities when terrorist groups entered the conflict. The Kuki and Meitei communities are at odds with one another in Manipur. The Meitei community resides in the foothills, and the Kuki community inhabits the high areas.
Kuki, who belongs to ST, did not want to share reservation benefits with the Meitei community. According to the Kuki community, despite court orders, the Meitei community does not belong to Scheduled Tribes.
In February, thousands marched demanding the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SOO) with militants, met the Manipur Governor and submitted a memorandum. The Memorandum alleged that SoO militants are involved in narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and the current conflict. It mentioned the creation of the “Golden Triangle” in Manipur and the migration of Chin Kuki Zo immigrants from Myanmar, which led to unapproved Kuki settlements and demographic shifts.
Citizens demanded the expulsion of foreign narco-terrorists from Bharatiya soil. Kuki-Zo legislators wrote to the PM and HM requesting that SoO should not be abrogated.
The conflict, until the February end of this year, has tragically claimed 219 lives. Notably, 140 army columns and 198 companies of the Central Armed Police Force have been sent to support state security forces. Furthermore, more than 187,000 people were placed under temporary detention as part of preventive measures.
Roughly ten thousand First Information Reports have been filed. Investigations have been delegated to central agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to ensure transparency.
The state’s economy has suffered due to the turmoil; it is believed that Rs 800 crore in fiscal resources has been lost. More than 50,000 people, mostly Hindus, have been displaced.
Several militants armed with M-16, AK 47, and sniper guns targeting civilians were eliminated.
Fearmongers like Fr Nidhin are trying to ignite passions by hypothetically insinuating such mob violence can happen in Kerala, too.
Earlier, various dioceses had stated that The Kerala Story was shown to make children understand that love jihad is taking place in Kerala, where girls are lured into love and lead to terrorist activities. Dioceses of Idukki, Thamarassery and Thalassery supported The Kerala Story. Kerala Catholic Youth Movement (KCYM), the Syro Malabar Sabha youth wing, also appealed to the Christian faithful to watch the film.
