Lok Sabha Polls: BJP's Forward March in Kerala 'Gimmick' or Dent in Existing Left-Congress Politics?

The Kerala-connect by the saffron brigade has come a long way in the last year – from The Kerala Story, a movie based on alleged religious conversions of women from the southern state, and ‘Sneha Yatra’ to Prime Minister Modi’s repeated visits and his decision to host the Christian community’s leader at his residence.

Apart from the RSS-BJP reaching out through political and social affiliates, ‘Modi ki guarantee’ for the fishermen community is another addition to the revived outreach for the coastal parts of the southern states, primarily Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The BJP’s Lok Sabha poll manifesto, or ‘Sankalp Yatra’, has an expanded and more elaborate version of the ‘Matsya Sampada Yojana’ among other existing schemes. This initiative was also mentioned in the manifesto for the 2019 general elections.

The BJP has strongly focused on Kerala and Tamil Nadu over the past year, even though the party has seen limited political gain in these two states. The prime minister’s photo with the ‘sengol’ titled ‘good governance’ on the manifesto document, also reflects the Tamil connect, affiliation to the state’s culture and the BJP’s aspiration for southern dominance

Even as the Tamil connect is taking place through the cultural space, in Kerala it is a different story. The BJP’s political association with Kerala was never so prominent, while its alliance with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu still had some currency.

The current outreach in Kerala is taking place through the several denominations of the Keralite Christian community, primarily the Syro-Malabar Christians, which the BJP calls “more culturally aligned with the Hindus

Last week, Kerala saw a series of almost unprecedented events over a movie – The Kerala Story. The movie was released last year and triggered a massive controversy as a host of people, politicians and analysts questioned its factual sanctity. The movie not only touched a political nerve and started a discussion over “love jihad”, religious conversion and trafficking in the name of love, it was also a big commercial success across states.

It was criticised by the opposition as promoting propaganda. Almost a year later, Doordarshan nationally aired the movie on April 5. The controversy, which almost settled, got a fresh boost and a section of Christian community supported the screening of the movie while some dioceses even installed screens at their premises. The Left and Congress leaders of Kerala protested the move citing the violence in Manipur, as the Kuki communities in the state are predominantly Christians while the Meiteis are Hindus.

Now, the most pertinent question remains. Is an anti-LDF or anti-UDF feeling on the rise or do the general masses agree to align towards the BJP?

News18 spoke to several Malayali community leaders and local politicians. Christian community leaders, primarily the Syro-Malabar members, said they support the movie because it is “close” to reality. Local politicians cutting across party lines – UDF and LDF – said the BJP is trying to bring “communal polarisation” in Kerala, which primarily stayed away from such agendas or religion-based politics.

“While the Syro-Malabar Church has made official pronouncements regarding the existence of ‘love jihad’ in Kerala, it is imperative to acknowledge that my personal insights do not necessarily reflect the official stance. Rather, they are informed by observations garnered through my above-said diverse roles within the church and the broader society,” said Father Antony Thalachelloor, first secretary of the Syro-Malabar Media Commission.

“Despite assertions from certain quarters, including media outlets and political figures, questioning the veracity of ‘love jihad’, it remains undeniable that instances of individuals, particularly of Islamists, engaging in contrived interfaith romantic entanglements do exist. Paradoxically, those who say there is no ‘love jihad’ are really trying to say that it does not exist as it has not yet been defined in the framework of the law,” he said

However, it is crucial to discern the underlying political motivations behind the recent airing of ‘The Kerala Story’ on Doordarshan amid the backdrop of electoral proceedings. Additionally, the decision of certain Catholic clergy to exhibit ‘Manipur Story’ further raises questions about potential political agendas intertwining with religious narratives. The undeniable reality is that Christians from both tribes faced attacks in Manipur,” he added.