The Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Tuesday moved before the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the release of the ‘The Kerala Story’ film, in theatres and through OTT (Over The Top) platforms and other such avenues.
It claimed that its release is likely to incite hatred and enmity between different sections of society in India.
The plea stated that the film demeans the whole Muslim community and will endanger Muslims’ lives and livelihoods.
“The movie demeans the entire Muslim community, particularly Muslim youth, and it will result in endangering the life and livelihood of the entire Muslim community in our country, which is a direct violation under Article 19(1)(g) of the Indian Constitution,” the petition stated.
‘The Kerala Story’ is a Hindi film about a group of Kerala women who join ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). The film will be released on May 5, Friday.
According to the Jamiat’s plea, the film is clearly aimed at instilling hatred and enmity among various sections of Indian society.
“The film’s message is that non-Muslim young women are being persuaded to convert to Islam by their classmates and then trafficked to West Asia where they are forced to join terrorist organisations,” the petition read.
It is argued that the film gives the impression that, in addition to extremist clerics who radicalize people, ordinary Muslim youth, their classmates, also play an important role in luring non-Muslims and radicalizing them by posing as friendly and good-natured, as instructed by extremist scholars.
“It is falsely stated that 32,000 girls have left Kerala for West Asia to join ISIS, even though the United Nations, the Union Home Ministry, police sources, and experts all agree that the number of Indians who left to join ISIS is around 66, and the maximum number of pro-ISIS persons who may have shown inclination towards ISIS is between 100 and 200,” the petition stated.
Aside from postponing the film’s release, the petition also requests that the trailer be removed from the internet. As an alternative to the above-mentioned plea, the petition sought directions to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to suggest the deletion of specific scenes and dialogue from the film.
Another option is for the Supreme Court to order that the film be distributed with a disclaimer declaring that it is a work of fiction and that the characters in the film bear no similarity to any living or dead person.
‘The Kerala Story’ drew criticism from a variety of quarters even before its release. In Kerala, both the government CPI(M) and the opposition Congress party claimed that it is a propaganda film promoting a false narrative and agenda of right-wing organisations.
Earlier today, advocate Nizam Pasha filed an application seeking a stay on the film’s release before the Supreme Court bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna for urgent listing this morning. The Court refused to allow an urgent listing and told the petitioner to go to the High Court or the Chief Justice of India. However, the plea was not filed after that.
Another petitioner moved the Kerala High Court today, requesting a halt on the film’s release. The High Court demanded responses from the Central Government, the CBFC, and the film’s producers.
