Kerala, the southernmost state of India, is currently in the headlines over the movie ‘The Kerala Story’ which made several controversial claims.
However, as per another ‘Kerala Story’ rooted in facts, the state has always been known for its high literacy rate, progressive outlook, and social indicators. In recent years, Kerala has emerged as a hub of non-resident Keralites (NRKs) who have been contributing significantly to the state’s economy.
Non-resident Keralites contribute 34 pc of all NRI remittances
In 2020, NRK remittances stood at 2.3 lakh crores, which is 34 percent of all NRI remittances.
The per capita income of Kerala is 60 percent higher than the rest of India, and only 0.71 percent of Keralites are below the poverty line, whereas the national average is 22 percent.
Kerala’s literacy rate is 96 percent, which is much higher than the national average of 77 percent. Moreover, the infant mortality rate in Kerala is six, which is far less than BJP-ruled states such as Assam, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
Claims by ‘The Kerala Story’ movie
The recently released movie, “The Kerala Story,” claimed that Kerala women are forced to convert to Islam and join ISIS. The original claim made by the movie’s trailer was that 32,000 Kerala women were forced to convert to Islam and join ISIS. However, as the controversy erupted over the claim, the number changed to three. Ever since the release of its trailer, ‘The Kerala Story’ has been in the news due to its alleged communal content.
The film, starring Adah Sharma, created a major controversy when it claimed that 32,000 women had left the state. As a result, a petition was filed before the Kerala High Court seeking a ban on the screening of the film.
Reviews of the movie have been overwhelmingly negative, with critics calling it “distorted,” “melodramatic and manipulative,” “ghastly,” “poorly made rant,” and “steeped in damned lies and comically exaggerated propaganda.”
