This Is the Real “Kerala Story” A journalist in Keralam questioned a statement that women should stay at home and not appear in public. Instead of questioning that regressive statement, the journalist who spoke against it was forced to apologise, while the channel removed the related videos from its online platforms. This exposes a disturbing double standard. Kerala’s media often lectures others about freedom of speech, press freedom and intolerance. But when a journalist questions a controversial religious statement, suddenly the issue disappears from the news cycle. The same media that is quick to highlight fake allegation against the RSS and BJP seems remarkably silent when the issue involves regressive views about women. We have also seen people publicly making offensive remarks about Hindu deities, including Lord Ayyappa, while debates over such incidents often take a very different tone. So, where is the much-proclaimed “progressive Keralam”? Freedom of speech cannot be selective. Press freedom cannot depend on who is being criticised. Today, Keralam is showing us two different faces of freedom of expression.