Have you ever been to kerala?The land which is believed to be a gift of the Arabian Sea?. Kerala, the abode of rivers and backwaters is a green strip of land, in the South West corner of Indian peninsula.
Kerala enjoys a moderate climate throughout the year and you experience freshness and touch of mother earth every where....Kerala has a rich cultural heritage, which fascinates the tourists a lot. The art and culture of Kerala portrays various dance forms and martial arts performed with the accompaniment of vocal and instrumental music.The breath-taking scenic beauty of this state is yet another feature that adds to its credits.All the 14 districts of Kerala stands unique in providing the visual treat to the scenic explorers.
As per the records,Kerala is a state with 100% literacy rate,Higher health care and Lower mortality ratio.Kerala’s life expectancy is nearly 74 years — 11 years longer than the Indian average and approaching the American average of 77 years. Kerala stands unique among the other states of India in protecting the long lived traditional and cultural values with all its flaura and fauna..No wonder keralites call their State "God's Own Country".
WoW..the state has all the rights to be called so,but what is the day -to -day happenings in the God's own country?
Plagued by chronic unemployment the talented and competitive manpower of Kerala have almost welcomed the idea of migration.Moreover,Kerala is known for large-scale migration of skilled labour to other States and countries. What ails the State that has such a high literacy rate and is also blessed by vast natural resources?........The unprecedented nature of industrial strikes is another hazard that restricts the growth of business sector of the state.No industrialist wants to set up any industry in Kerala due to labour problems.The State is bankrupt, besides being corrupt and largely politicised. Trade unionism is still alive in Kerala. Overlooking the political scenario,we can put it in a nutshell that Kerala politics is becoming a synonym for the sport tug of war.The tourism sector which is booming has a dark side too.Evils of tourism such as the commercial sexual exploitation of children are rampant in the state.The tourism policies in Kerala are stifling the local economies and depriving local communities of their livelihood systems.The problems also include the pollution of backwaters by the tourism industry with the increased number of house boats,The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violation by hotels and resorts,Unsustainable waste management systems etc. Thus the claim that,"tourism is a vehicle for developing the environment" in the state is highly questionable at best and unfounded at worst.
Women in Kerala are the next to be highlighted to complete the picture of God's own Country.Why does a state that boasts India’s highest literacy levels and excellent social development indicators see a 300% increase in violence against women? Possibly because literacy and education do not change mindsets. This violence could take the form of physical violence, sexual violence, threats of physical or sexual violence, psychological or emotional abuse, or economic violence.In a deeply patriarchal society, education teaches women only to be good wives and mothers.Apart from these,domestic violence too takes place within the four walls of the home, and women are conditioned to accept this as part of their lives.Sex racket in Kerala never fades away.It is to be taken into account that more than 95% of rape cases are not reported fearing social ostracising. A rape victim is always blamed for 'attracting' rape, no such stigma attaches to the rapist. In other words, the victim is victimised even by the justice delivery system and then the victim has to carry the stigma of rape throughout her life.This is the kind of attitude the society has on the victims.
Whatever picture i could draw before your eyes is only the tip of the iceberg,as the saying goes,explored are less dangerous than the unexplored.Fortunately,many have identified the seriousness of the issue and have already started responding through organisations,campaigns , movements etc.The government too is extending a supportive hand to eradicate these evils permanently as it adversely effect the prosperity of the nation as a whole.And so it's high time that we all raise our voice to save the GOD'S OWN COUNTRY FROM FALLING INTO DEVIL'S LAP.
3 comments:
lovely article..i am speechless, i have always looked up to kerela as a idol state..but i guess, even it has been scathed by the common evils in our society..i have also learned that i cant be judgmental about a place until i go and live there..but you know what..all said and done,its part of the same system that we live in..and it is beautiful, lets agree to that..lovely article once again
@aroop.
Thank you so much for that comment.As u said,at the end of the day,its part of the same system that we live in.
I miss home, but when I go there for holidays, I feel like I am just another tourist. We just enjoy the time with our family and then the natural beauty. The culture, the traditions, values..they are all deteriorating..people have become very arrogant and selfish, unlike the traditional helping malayalee..its total chaos on the roads..its just becoming another Jungle. 'God's Own Country' will be pretty soon an entity which will exist only in our minds :)
well written. Cheers!
Thought of sharing an article about kerala
thestar.com
Indian state a model for development
Nov 19, 2007 04:30 AM
Craig and Marc Kielburger
On a bright fall morning in the Indian state of Kerala, among bustling tea shops and markets, we watch as a remarkable daily ritual unfolds: long streams of children in their brightly coloured uniforms march steadily to school.
While a sight like this would be considered normal on any Canadian street, in India – where millions of rural children never set foot in a classroom – it's something that catches our attention.
But Kerala is not your typical Indian state. That's because, despite the overwhelming poverty in many areas of the country, Kerala has a standard of living that rivals any in the developed world.
The statistics are sometimes hard to believe. Kerala's life expectancy, literacy rate and infant mortality rate are roughly equal to those in Canada and the United States, and dramatically better than in anywhere else in the developing world, including other states in India.
In Kerala, located on the country's southwestern tip, it's as easy to have a well-informed conversation with a businessman as with a taxi driver. Women play an integral role in public policy and child labour is virtually non-existent.
Streets are clean, beaches beautiful, and the lush countryside dotted with historic temples and churches.
To outsiders, Kerala seems to have got development right.
What makes these accomplishments extraordinary is that the state has one-seventieth the wealth of the United States. In fact, Kerala is even poor by Indian standards with a per capita income of $320 a year, compared with $770 in the rest of the country.
Historians and anthropologists have long tried to explain how this state, with a population the size of Canada's, has become such an anomaly. They point to the fact that since India's independence, Kerala has been governed by a series of left-wing governments, which have invested heavily in health care and education.
Land was transferred from rich to the poor, a minimum wage established, and regulations put in place to reign in industrial development.
This emphasis on personal and social growth over unlimited economic expansion was even given a name: the "Kerala model."
Despite the praise, Kerala is not without problems. Unemployment is rampant – as high as 25 per cent – and low levels of industrialization mean there are few suitable jobs for its well-educated youth.
As a result, many have been forced to leave. Nearly two million Keralites live abroad, mostly in the Persian Gulf, pursuing jobs that don't exist at home. While they send home $5 billion a year, many are separated from their families for years.
Kerala isn't perfect. But this small Indian state does serve as a development model for emerging countries, while also redefining what it means for a region to be developed.
Kerala has a low per capita income, the traditional marker of success, but it has a healthy, well-educated and literate population. The state's Human Development Index ranks first in India and is comparable to western countries.
And without the overconsumption in other parts of the world, Kerala has found a way to provide for its citizens with little impact on the environment. As countries like China grow rapidly, Kerala offers an alternative path to development – one increasingly attractive as fears over climate change intensify.
The state may be poor, but the lessons it holds are priceless.
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