Kerala is the smallest state in India, a country where 400 million live under the poverty line and literacy is only about 50% (30% for women). It has 30 million inhabitants and it is India`s most densely populated state, with about 800 persons pr squate kilometer. Economic wise it is one of India`s weakest with very few industries, production and an high unemployment rate.

But then I ask you to read under The striking facts.

The striking facts. . .

100% literacy, certified in 1991.

A relegious diversity of 60% Hindus, 20% Christians, 20% Muslims. Even a community of 22 Jews exists. Still it`s a relegious peaceful state where all the groups live together in tolerance and harmony.

Infant mortality is 11 within 1000 born. In the US it is 8 within 1000 born, some places even more than Kerala.

Life Expectancy : 77 for female, 75 for male.

Birth rate is at replacement level, which means that the population growth is minimal, or non-existent. Kerala has solved one of the biggest 3rd World problems, high population growth.

In country where there is a unnatural high ratio of male vs female, Kerala has more female than male. Like in the western world women live longer than men.

Shortly said : QUALITY OF LIFE IN KERALA IS AS HIGH AS IN THE WESTERN WORLD. WE TAKE AWAY MEASURES OF MATERIAL WEALTH, AND SEE THAT THIS STATE IN A COUNTRY WITH 3rd WORLD SIGNS HAS ALL THE SIGNS OF THE WESTERN WORLD.

Taken from Bill McKibbens DoubleTake, where he has written about Kerala`s development

"The government, particularly the leftists who governed for much of the late 1980s, continued to press the issue, aiming for "total literacy," usually defined as a population where about 95 percent can read and write. The pilot project began in the Ernakulam region, an area of 3 million people that includes the city of Cochin. In late 1988, 50,000 volunteers fanned out around the district, tracking down 175,000 illiterates between the ages of 5 and 60, two-thirds of them women. The leftist People's Science Movement recruited 20,000 volunteer tutors and sent them out to teach. Within a year, it was hoped, the illiterates would read Malayalam at 30 words a minute, copy a text at 7 words a minute, count and write from 1 to 100, and add and subtract three-digit numbers. The larger goal was to make people feel powerful, feel involved; the early lessons were organized around Brazilian teacher Paolo Freire's notion that the concrete problems of people's lives provide the best teaching material. "Classes were held in cowsheds, in the open air, in courtyards," one leader told the New York Times. "For fishermen we went to the seashore. In the hills, tribal groups sat on rocks. Leprosy patients were taught to hold a pencil in stumps of hands with rubber bands. We have not left anyone out." For those with poor eyesight, volunteers collected 50,000 donated pairs of old eyeglasses and learned from doctors how to match them with recipients. Of the 175,000 students, 135,000 scored 80 percent or better on the final test, putting the region's official literacy rate above 96 percent; many of the others stayed in follow-up classes and probably had learned enough to read bus signs. The total cost of the150 hours of education was about $26 per person. Organizers knew the campaign was working when letters from the newly literate began arriving in government offices, demanding paved roads and hospitals. "

In 1991 UN and India`s Goverment were proud to certify Kerala as India`s 1st fully, 100% literate state.

Full article

Bill McKibben : Kerala, India by Daniel McKibben

If it was so easy as people volunteering and teaching illiterates how ta read and write, then how come people are suffering all over the world? Couldn`t all the problems of the world be solved using the same method?

No, there must be something else. You won`t live to 77 and 75 by reading and writing. Literacy is only (though huge) a step towards the right direction. But I`ve just said that Kerala is one of India`s economically weakest states with a high unemployment rate. How can it have all the qualities of the western world?

One positive feature was the Land Reform. Land was distributed amongst the people long back so .they could build their home there and make a living of the harvest which would grow on the land. Today 90% of Kerala`s population live on their own land.

It has also a very good health system which fully ensures immunsiation against dangerous diseases, and medecines are available everywhere for a low cost.

But there most be more, a rock sturdy reason behind Kerala`s remarkable social development, for economically it is poorly developed. So what is it ?

LOOK TOWARDS ARABIA, SEEK THE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

. . .

In the 1800`s for many Europeans the USA was the land of the opportunities, an escape route for a better life. "The West" was a dream which came true for many from all over Europe.

Today the US is dream of opportunities for many Mexicans. Like the Europeans who dreamt about "The West", Mexicans dream about "El Norte", an escape to the North.

In the state of Kerala, a similiar although not alike situation has been existent the last 30 years with educated Keralites seeking for a visa to the Gulf. Large scale emmigration to the Gulf region has made many places in Gulf countries a mini Kerala (like Muscat, capital of Oman, Bahrain, Dubai in the Emirates).
Starting with any kind of work, many return as "Gulf princes" with well paid jobs (comparing to salaries in the state itself) and are able to take care of their familiy.

In Kerala you will see people living in big houses and estates which are results of this Gulf money which is flowing in. Some end up in businesses, but only very little for reasons which will be discussed. The money spent making houses and buying luxury goods and items create some work and income for people for a period of time, but in a long term view there isn`t anything good coming out of it. The state gets nothing for developement.

So one of the main reasons for Kerala`s development is becuase of this Gulf money, which is running in like much needed blood.

Now one can ask. Is this idyllic social picture if Kerala a result of artificial development? What would have happened if the Gulf jobs and money didn`t exist?

And what will happen if one day this influx of money from the Gulf stops completely? What happens when educated people can`t hope of going and returning as "Gulf princes"?

There isn`t any large scale industries in Kerala which can provide worthwhile jobs for engineers and other educated people. Unemployment is already high amongst people in Kerala, things won`t get better if people loose the opportunity to get work in Gulf.

Gulf money which could have been used for starting businesses and creating jobs have been spent on houses and luxury for the families. But people in the Gulf and other foreign places can`t be blamed, there hasn`t been an environment for investment in Kerala. A famous film in Kerala starring Malayalee star Mohanlal called "Varavelppu" is a movie about a man returning from the Gulf to start a business in Kerala. He invests in a bus and starts "Gulf Motors". But the Bus Employees Union Leader creates a hell for the man, and in the end he is forced to shut down his business. He then returns to Gulf. This is a story which is taken from the reality. Many industries and businesses have been forced to shut down because of strikes led by Union leaders (who in the end fill their own pockets at the price of the labourers). People living abroad are too scared to invest in Kerala.

External links on this matter

Kerala ignores global economic changes: PM Vajpayee

Prime minister Vajpayee`s speach on this matter

Because of no special kind manufacturing and production in large scale industries the state gets no large scale incomes. Instead it goes and lend money from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, which actually puts the state in a bigger trap. Future incomes will have to be used to pay of the never-ending debt instead of creating jobs and a healthy economy.

As mentioned there is no manufacturing and production of the resources in Kerala. Because Kerala have a lot of resources which can create incomes for the people and the state.

Resources like these can be made things out of, manufactured and exported in large scale:

- Spices (pepper etc), can be packed in large scale and exported

- Rubber

- Fruits like mangoes, jackfruit, watermelon and also local fruit types can be manufactured in packages and exported. Drinks can be made.

- Coconut, which has totally lost it`s value in the state. Many products (powder, dessicated coconut, drinks, ingredients in food, chocolate and other products) can be made out of coconuts.

- Herbs and plants which can be used to make oils, treatment ointments, medecines, creams and so on.

- Industries which produce things can be set up to create work and jobs, and income for the state

But nothing is being done. Kerala has scared of investment, and it`s own resources is being wasted.

The state of Kerala with all it`s plus points live it`s life on the edge, surviving by holding on to the rope thrown in from the Gulf. If that rope gets cut it will be a steep fall.