And for a Friday in my very own Thiruvananthapuram, some thoughts….. some musings…..
Trivandrum is lush green. Crisp clean air, always fresh, but June/July monsoon months makes it even better. Watching the rain drops from my garden verandah with hot cup of Kannan Devan tea and freshly fried jackfruit/banana fritters, is a luxury I can never miss, not to forget the lunch – Netholi fish curry and brown rice with nadan keera and raw banana poriyal – ecstatic. Best part is, all need not be cooked at home. Plenty of choices to have “like home-made” now, from many enterprising outlets. For snacks and short eats, my favourite is Square One at Pattom. Their Kozhikattas are simply outstanding. And late in the night, the “Thattu-Kadas” offer a huge variety of dishes at immensely affordable prices. There is no other capital city in the world where the International airport is 20 minutes, railway station 12 minutes and interstate bus stop 10 minutes away, not to talk of shopping malls and eateries at every nook and corner.
A very different facet is the current economic, social and job opportunities here. The so called Kerala Model of Development has undoubtedly ensured high literacy, improved healthcare for the poor and lower middle class as compared to any other part of the country. High life expectancy and low infant mortality indices almost comparable to developed economies of the west. But this model – has it run its course? The record breaking second term of a Marxist led Government, huge debts, low productivity, labour laws and practices which will guarantee failure of any Private enterprise is a clarion call to change. The most classic is the prevalence of Nokku Kooli ( wages for ( just) looking ). It’s an euphemism for extortion by organised labour unions who collect bribes to let the other migrant labourers do the physical work. It’s time for a huge revolution to be led by the youth of Kerala, the teenagers and their parents in Middle East, retired grandparents from all walks of life and NRK-Malayalees. Job oriented skill development as education rather than the graduation, post graduation and useless PhDs, economic orientation to bring in productivity and ability to compete based on digitalisation use of AI and IOT in all spheres.
Let’s have less of Kerala Model, more of Gujarat or Maharashtra Model to bring in Investments and encourage entrepreneurship, the sustainable way, the global market oriented way, the SEEGOS way.