Kerala, the land created by gods to be the heaven on earth. Blessed with abundance of natural resources, beauty with all the green mountains, rivers, lakes, sea etc, she has everything that a person can only dream off. I had always a certain pride being born as an Indian in Kerala. With high literacy rate, health care etc, Kerala exhibited all the parameters of a highly developed society. She also had the lowest crime rate comparable to any state in India. But there was something that was always wrong with Kerala. Kerala also lacked in any credible industrialization, with militant trade unionism, no entrepreneur worth his name was ready to invest in Kerala. Being a person born in Palakkad, I could always see the huge difference of development between Palakkad and Coimbatore which is in Tamilnadu just across the border about 50Km away. Each and everyday Coimbatore was changing with huge industries and prosperity of the masses. Many of the younger generation migrates to other states in search of jobs due to the lack of any opportunity in Kerala. But Kerala always was the place to lead a quite life with low crime rate and an above average infrastructure.
But things started changing slowly by the end of the 1980's. Consumerism started trickling into the masses. The need for latest electronic gadgets and life styles would lead many a youngster in search of easy money and this the underworld culture and the quotation gangs made it's appearance in Kerala.Keralates tolerated largely this change with the hope of correction at sometime. But things went from bad to worse with indifferent Politicians and administrators caring for nothing but their own well being. Yet the Malayali it seems lost his ability to respond and protest and rise up to his rights. Hartals and Bandhs became common for insignificant reasons. We started celebrating Bandhs like a holiday. Nobody cared to ask the logic of these protests of which the common man was the loser. But something in the hearts of the Malayalis was burning and yearning for change. The recent murder of a politician in Kerala by a certain political party just because he had left that party hit a chord in the hearts and minds of an average Kerelaite. People started protesting against this gruesome murder and the demand to punish those wrong doers became ever more shrill. Yet again the Political parties refuses to see this change and try to stick to their old ways. But be warned change is inevitable and nobody can stop the same.
I do not want top rant about all the things that is bad. I do not live in a fools paradise being nostalgic about the past. I believe in change and time is the best healer. Change is coming and there will soon come a time when people starts protesting about these wrong doings, People want change and hey demand justice from their rulers. It is time to correct these wrongs, lest time will never forgive us. It is time not for words but actions. Let's hope our administrators see that change too. Lest time and people will never forgive them.
JAIHIND
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