Reforms needed

Kerala has distinguished itself among Indian states, particularly in education, healthcare, and living standards, with its people dispersed globally, except for Pakistan and North Korea (“Kerala plans crowdfunding for health, education,” Feb.6, Gulf Today website).

This achievement is not sudden but the result of past efforts. Two key factors underpin Kerala’s success: Christian missionaries who established educational and healthcare institutions, and funding from oil-rich Middle Eastern nations. The missionary presence spurred education in a polarised society, enabling Kerala’s populace to seek opportunities abroad, notably in the Gulf, where economic prosperity reverberated back home.

However, Kerala now faces a profound financial crisis due to reckless government spending, lack of major industries, high political interference, corruption and declining marketplaces. Expenditure primarily serves salaries and pensions, doubling every seven years, an irregularity even not shown in wealthy nations. Revenue expenditures alone constitute more than 80% state revenue. Youth flee for overseas employment, leaving elderly relatives behind, while the poor struggle. Poor start seeking alms in protest. Chaos! Strikes, bureaucracy, and corruption deter entrepreneurship. Hope lies in Gulf and Western job opportunities, though energy transitions dim even this prospect. Only bold governmental reforms can restore Kerala’s glorious past.

Girish R Edathitta,

Kerala, India