Ramesh Chennithala hails communal harmony initiatives, criticises ‘Kerala Story 2’ movie
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday praised recent instances of communal harmony in the state and criticised the film ‘Kerala Story 2 Goes Beyond’, saying the people of the state have rejected divisive politics.
In a Facebook post, Chennithala referred to the appeal by the Imam of Palayam mosque here to open religious places and homes during Ramadan to provide drinking water and resting spaces for women participating in the Attukal Pongala festival, which will be held here on March 3.
He also cited the initiative of the Sree Poobanam Kuzhi Temple at Thachangad, Kasaragod, which organised a community iftar in the temple courtyard for people from the Muslim community who could not participate in the temple’s event due to Ramadan fasting.
Chennithala said such gestures reflect the true spirit of Kerala and demonstrate the state’s tradition of love and coexistence.
“This strong bond of love and coexistence is our real ‘Kerala Story’. Only love and brotherhood can counter Islamophobia and hatred,” he said.
The Congress leader alleged that the film ‘Kerala Story 2 Goes Beyond’ was produced with the agenda of spreading hatred and undermining the state’s communal harmony.
He claimed that the people of Kerala rejected the movie, citing reports that some shows were cancelled due to poor audience response.
He referred to an incident in Kozhikode where a screening was reportedly called off after only two tickets were sold.
Chennithala said the rejection of the film shows that attempts to defame Kerala and promote communal politics would not succeed in the state.
He added that the people of Kerala have once again made it clear that divisive politics has no place in the state.
A division bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday paved the way for the release of 'The Kerala Story 2-Goes Beyond' by staying a single judge order that had put the film’s screening on hold for 15 days.
The single judge, on Thursday, had held that prima facie there was a manifest non-application of mind by the censor board.
The judge also noted that “the possibility of communal disharmony or denigration of a community [was] prima facie involved in the movie,” and that its release without scrutiny by higher authorities would be legally improper.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
