Yes, that is exactly how somebody I know described the land and the people down under (in India, ofcourse!). The southern tip, the 90% literate, the verdant, monsoon blessed state of our nation. But lately, this land flowing with rubber and gulf money has been displaying hues way too far from the natural green and the crimson (communism is part of Kerala's rich heritage and the rebellion/naxalism of the 40s, remembered proudly as the civil rights movement of the lands of far beyond).
Kerala, once known as the land of coconut trees is now quite infamous for sex scandals, that has not even spared the serene interiors of a convent notwithstanding the politicians, ministers included and other godmen involved. This state boasts of a high percentage of educated females and yet (sad to say)statistics reveal that girl children and women of lower financial strata are often lured for money into one of the India's most powerful trades, flesh.
The love of money seems to have not even spared those who proclaim to have renounced the world for higher goals. Throughout the state, godmen and godwomen have risen in an alarming rate, squeezing money off the rich and the poor alike playing on their religious sentiments.
The land is alleged to be the new base for LTTE, Kochi being the new 'trade' route. Well, the hyenas will have the tigers for company.
And now for the latest 'development', north Kerala has emerged as the epicenter for terrorism!!! Young men are promised jobs, recruited via an agency, even converted to Islam, sent to Hyderabad or Kashmir for militant training and let loose for their exploits. Their undoubting families receive a steady pay and are spared from the truth until maybe someday they are jolted back to reality when they receive the dead remains of their sons, tagged as terrorists killed in an encounter.
Let us not just blame one community, we do have other strongholds in this little state, where arms training is a routine for karsevaks and the church has a greater say in the government.
Welcome to a new Kerala where the less harmful bandhs and hartals, the party jumping politicians and the stone pelting class-bunking student unions are told to take a backseat. This is the state's new avatar, militancy!
Vivekananda once called this state a land of pandemonium seeing the crazy caste system. In this modern times, I still wonder has anything changed? Maybe the backdrop and the characters but the story is still the same...
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