The state of Keralam [Kerala, for the international readers; and, 'Keral' for North Indians] turns 50 today. It was on Nov 1, 1956 that this state came into being, as a result of the reorganization of Indian states on linguistic basis by merging the princely states of Travancore-Cochin and the Malabar region. The language was Malayalam. When I look into the past, present and future of my home state, a few points are worth pondering over, I feel.
Swami Vivekananda had once described Keralam as a 'lunatic asylum' which pretty much summed up the social conditions prevailing then. It's a place where the most extreme forms of caste oppression prevailed. Yet, a few enlightened souls like 'Chattambi Swami', 'Sreenarayana Guru' and 'Mannathu Padmanabhan' were successful in reforming the system, of course with the active support of the royals, especially Travancore Kingdom. All these, coupled with the emergence of Communism has since ensured that all social ills were pretty much done away with, at least in the open.
Malayalees are well aware of the benefits education can confer on the individual and the society. The early work of the missionaries, the schools and colleges that were opened up to all by the royalty, and subsequently, by organizations like NSS and SNDP have all had a role in spreading this awareness. The govt.'s policy of letting the private sector into the primary education sector (whether or not by default) also helped. But, of late, this awareness has gone to the extreme levels, with everyone wanting to make their wards engineers / doctors. 'No other career is worth the while' is the general feeling. It does not stop there. All people who take up humanities / arts / commerce are looked down upon, not just by the common man, but even by the top faculty in the respective streams. Being a PG in commerce, this hurts and angers me no end.
Keralam has the unique status of being the first state where Communists came to power through the ballot. Yet, the question remains whether Communism has helped Keralam in a substantial manner? There has been a societal awakening, yes; but it has also resulted in economic backwardness. Communism made people aware of their rights, but none knew about their duties! This is the tragedy in Kerala society. Strikes and lock-outs became commonplace and today, no industry worth a name exists in Kerala. There is a Hindustan Latex and Travancore Titanium in Trivandrum, a FACT (now on the verge of downing shutters) and a Ship-building yard in Kochi.....what else?? Now IT is slowly becoming stronger, but the Communists are wavering on this. There was a time when Communists vehemently opposed computers, saying they led to loss of jobs! And that opposition cost Keralam dearly with neighboring states stealing march over it. Please, for God's sake, let this industry at least thrive on its own.
As for the agri-distress, here also I'll blame the Communists only. Land Reforms is touted as the major achievement of post-independent Kerala. What is the actual ground reality? It has turned the tables on the so-called upper castes. I dare say that the kind of feudalistic practices that still prevail in some other parts of India had been routed by the time Keralam was formed. The landlords here were far more lenient and generous. But, the govt. took their lands and distributed it to the farmers. The erstwhile landlords - 'Janmis', and that includes Brahmins and Nairs - became poor by the day. Not for them, things like reservation. They were left to fend for themselves in an increasingly hostile world around them. As for the people who got the land, for the majority, the holding was too small for viable cultivation. This fragmentation has ultimately led to Keralam being dependent on Tamil Nadu for its food grains and vegetables. Today, Wayanad is in the grip of a severe farm distress and the govt simply does nothing at all! I HATE COMMUNISTS FOR BEING THE PEOPLE BEHIND KERALA'S ECONOMIC BACKWARDNESS.
The decline in job opportunities, as outlined in the preceding para, for the educated youth - mostly upper caste - resulted in their migration to other states and countries. The professional got opportunities in the West. Similarly, the less-educated found a refuge in the Gulf. They have today earned a name for themselves. By God's grace, they have not forgotten their less-fortunate brethren back home. It's the money-orders and DDs that these overseas Mallus religiously send home that avert an economic disaster in Kerala. It's often commented that Malayalees work hard once out of Kerala. It's the flawed socio-economic model that has resulted in this sad state of affairs.
In terms of health-related parameters, Kerala has done a great job. But, there is the need to remove the sense of complacency here and work on the lifestyle diseases that are the new 'talking points' for the vainglorious. If not checked, there is an impending health disaster in terms of access costs and poverty. For personal reasons, I cannot elaborate more on this now.
When I look into the future, I see bright chances for Kerala. First and foremost is its educated youth that is raring to go places and make a mark of their own. The IT sector, if properly nourished, can do wonders. Another important area is the infrastructure sector. The Vizhinjam Port, if made a reality, can change the face of Keralam and India [More on this in another post]. Similarly, the Vallarpadam Terminal and Kannur airport are potential trailblazers. Tourism is another of Kerala's strengths. Its famed inland waterways can be revitalized and this will yield huge dividends [It's said that, in lieu of Palakkad region, the Kanyakumari region had to be given to Tamil Nadu. I still do not understand on what basis this decision was made. Had Kanyakumari been in Kerala, we could have developed it into a hygienic tourist destination. I emphasize 'hygienic' coz it's today one of the worst tourist spots in terms of cleanliness.]. There is an acute need for the right kind of political will to take Keralam to the big league. Will our political masters stop pandering to their own vested interests at least now? Let's pray for that......
