GOD’S OWN COUNTRY ON TRIAL

Kerala is well known across a wide spectrum as ‘God’s own country’. The whole universe is the abode of God then how come Kerala alone the “God’s own country”. We needn’t read too much into this claim. No keralite will be inclined to call his home State ‘Devil’s own country’ and whoever dares to think or despise won’t go unscathed. Each state is unique in its own way. Take for instance Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, the North-Eastern states, Jammu and Kashmir and for that matter any states or Union Territories of our Incredible India. Unity in diversity is the hallmark of this nation with respect to languages, culture, natural beauty, arts and literature- a long list so to speak about. Let it be so.

After all who was the Great Man or was it a combined effort who could coin a catchy term “God’s own country” for the state of Kerala?

Kerala is blessed with a picturesque landscape with its lush greenery, flowing rivers, rivulets, streams, sparkling lakes, verdant hills, vast paddy fields, thick forests, flora and fauna, rich bio-diversity, temples, churches and mosques……

Please note that I wrote in the present tense but actually it was once upon a time.

Whether the gentleman/woman or a combined team of gentlemen/women coined the beautiful catchy term “God’s own country” they must have felt, deep pride on the auspicious occasion of naming ceremony.

And if he or them are still around here or elsewhere, will they feel that much pride as they felt earlier?

Here I am forced to recall my childhood days. I was a lucky child who was born and had spent years up to my teens on the banks of a rivulet in the sylvan surroundings of a village. A sort of nostalgia envelops me.

While sitting alone on the cow dung pasted verandah of my ancient tharavadu (ancestral house) especially in the mornings I could enjoy the rivulet flowing with full force unhindered, both sides of rivulet lined with thick bushes and a vast paddy field adjacent to it, coconut trees leaning to the paddy fields from the other side of the paddy field, a Siva temple nearby, sound of percussion instruments, blowing of conch shell with chanting of bhajans, devotees praying with folded palms and the morning sun slowly rising in the East, gentle sun rays and cool breeze caressing me-all indelibly imprinted in the inner recess of my mind. Lucky to have born there and now I sit here with mixed feelings-both joy and sadness.

Now the tharavadu (ancestral house) got converted into a concrete house, the rivulet dried up, the green plants are not seen anywhere on its both boundaries instead concrete walls have been erected, and the delightful sight’ of a vast green paddy field gone forever, only grass patches and at one corner thick plantains have sprung up.

With the advent of neo-liberal economic reforms and globalization on a massive scale, farming became costly due to sky-high fertilizer prices, lack of irrigation facilities, withdrawal of subsidies, and the dearth of daily-wagers to work in the fields, mounting debts to the financial institutions and money-lenders who charge exorbitant rates of interest resulting in farmers turning away from their traditional profession. Real-Estate boom is rampant across our state and our Incredible nation.
Once Kerala had boasted about the land of 44 rivers, water flowing incessantly to the delight of Keralites as also the tourists from other lands. Now for namesake, rivers are very much there, most of them got dried up with large scale sand mining by greedy mafia and those at the helm of affairs remaining detached as they are busy with pre-occupations which are of much benefit to them. As the ecological plunder still rampant our forests are gradually getting thin and greenery fast disappearing. The sacred river Nila (Bharathapuzha) revered by us which gave birth to a number of cultural icons is in a pathetic state. The river has practically gone ‘barren’ reminding us of a desert seems like somebody holding a mirror to the pity state of affairs prevailing across our once blessed land of Kerala.

With rising concrete bungalows fast spreading across the length and breadth of the state, can we feel proud about and call it progress of a state or a nation? With liquor flowing freely across the land, making the state a heaven of drunkards, with a thriving sex-racket quotation gangs and terror elements on the prowl, religious fanaticism ruling the roost dilapidated roads remaining unattended except when the elections are round the corner and adding fuel to fire the skyrocketing of prices of essential commodities making daily life difficult for a vast majority of population, what logic is there for calling our state “God’s own country” and our nation “Incredible India”? Is it black humor of our times?