Whither Kerala?

It is about 4 years since I wrote this post titled: Literacy, The Bane of Kerala! Since then, is there any significant change in the civil society? Of course yes, though it is only to reconfirm my assertion that literacy is the misfortune of Kerala! In fact, in the last 4 years we have spiraled down further into the dark abyss.

Today, the whole political happenings in the State are centered around an accused lady, Swapna Suresh, who was a key member of a mafia consisting of high-profile ministers, senior government officials, top officials of the UAE Consulate in Trivandrum, and other criminals, involved in gold smuggling, black money laundering, corruption, and other anti-national activities. 

Though this politically charged Kerala gold smuggling scandal was exposed two years back, and in spite of investigations by central government agencies (NIA, ED, CBI), most of the high-profile members accused in the case have resumed their normal duties leaving behind Swapna Suresh and other lowly members of the gang to take the full responsibility for the nefarious anti-national activities.

However, recently this diplomatic gold smuggling scandal got a new lease of life when the prime accused Swapna Suresh gave a sworn statement in front of a magistrate about the direct involvement of the CM, his wife, daughter, a former minister, and other bureaucrats in various criminal activities.

Since then, just the power and vigor with which Swapna is being harassed relentlessly by the ruling government machinery using its mighty police force makes people wonder whether what she has revealed in the sworn statement has hit the nail on the head.

Another horrendous case that is grabbing headlines unceasingly (the actress assault case) also involves fashionable, wealthy, and influential people in high places - from the film industry, police force, judiciary, government, and high society. This case, in which the actress was kidnapped and sexually assaulted in a moving car near Kochi in Feb 2017, had sent chills down the spine of every literate Keralite. This sensational case still continues unabated with the recent revelations of former DGP turned YouTuber, Sreelekha IPS, that she is 100% certain that the accused actor Dileep is innocent in the case and that the police has fabricated certain evidences.

Now coming back to my question. What other notable characteristics, other than the high literacy rate of the society, are ailing the State of Kerala, where militancy, religious extremism, increasing drug usage, gold smuggling, and sexual attacks against women & children are rampant? The most frightening issue, in my opinion is the decline in moral values, caused especially by the increasing consumption and trafficking of narcotics, especially synthetic drugs, even by school children and highly educated working women. This, together with the fact that institutionalized corruption is entrenched deep at the highest levels of the Government and the Administration, means that, not only us, but even our future generations are going to be doomed forever. 

Jawaharlal Nehru was writing 'Whither India?' at a time when the country was at the crossroads, unable to decide on the path she should follow for the attainment of independence. At that time, most of the Congress leaders found Nehru’s views too radical and the aim set out by him, impossible to achieve. Today we in Kerala are also at the crossroads unable to decide on the destiny of our future generations! 

As Mahatma Gandhi said, "The future depends on what you do today."