10 challenges before Kerala
Kerala is facing 10 challenges today. These are social and economic challenges. We need to overcome each one of these challenges as they are issues critical for every one of us. We do not have absolute solution for all these. But we need to find a solution.
1) Waste Management and Disposal
Rapid urbanisation has brought with it the most urgent challenge to us - Management and disposal of waste generated by households and industries. It is now common across Kerala to see piles of waste by the roadside. An NRK will return to his piece of property in Kerala to find a pile of waste there. The issue is affecting tourism sector badly.
Suggested Solution: Wealth out of waste
Suggested Solution: Wealth out of waste
2) Migrant Labourers
Human resources from Kerala are toiling across the world and we are looking for people from other parts of India as skilled and unskilled labourers. They are there in every sector, in small and big establishments and even as farm labourers. Unlawful activities and petty public issues from a minority of migrant labourers are a growing concern for the majority of people in Kerala. Migrant labourers are from states like UP, Orissa, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Jharkand, Tamilnadu, West Bengal and some North Eatern states. There are also illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Legal and police mechanisms in Kerala are incapacitated in multiple ways to properly manage them in Kerala. Growing number of migrant people accessing public infrastructure like healthcare is stressing the already stretched resources.
Suggested Solution: We can start with compulsory identification of every migrant labour and measures to discourage residents from contracting unidentified labourers.
Human resources from Kerala are toiling across the world and we are looking for people from other parts of India as skilled and unskilled labourers. They are there in every sector, in small and big establishments and even as farm labourers. Unlawful activities and petty public issues from a minority of migrant labourers are a growing concern for the majority of people in Kerala. Migrant labourers are from states like UP, Orissa, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Jharkand, Tamilnadu, West Bengal and some North Eatern states. There are also illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Legal and police mechanisms in Kerala are incapacitated in multiple ways to properly manage them in Kerala. Growing number of migrant people accessing public infrastructure like healthcare is stressing the already stretched resources.
Suggested Solution: We can start with compulsory identification of every migrant labour and measures to discourage residents from contracting unidentified labourers.
3) Profitable Farming
Farming is not profitable for a majority in Kerala. But many have proved among us that farming can indeed be profitable. The one thing that differentiates them is the level of knowledge they have about the technologically advanced and globalized world. Majority of farmers here lack awareness about how they can efficiently improve productivity of their land, utilize resources (labour, water, fertilizers, etc) better, discover better price in the new age economy, mechanize with the use of latest technology and add value to crops they sell for better price realization.
Suggested Solution: We need to create well informed and aware farmers. Krishi Vigyan Kendras across Kerala is doing a good job. They are capable to make the difference. Media has a big role to play here but they have been irreverent. Same is the case with most of the political and social activists. Most of them are named crusaders, but they are not. They are either equally unaware about the changed world and circumstances or they work for some petty personal gains.
Farming is not profitable for a majority in Kerala. But many have proved among us that farming can indeed be profitable. The one thing that differentiates them is the level of knowledge they have about the technologically advanced and globalized world. Majority of farmers here lack awareness about how they can efficiently improve productivity of their land, utilize resources (labour, water, fertilizers, etc) better, discover better price in the new age economy, mechanize with the use of latest technology and add value to crops they sell for better price realization.
Suggested Solution: We need to create well informed and aware farmers. Krishi Vigyan Kendras across Kerala is doing a good job. They are capable to make the difference. Media has a big role to play here but they have been irreverent. Same is the case with most of the political and social activists. Most of them are named crusaders, but they are not. They are either equally unaware about the changed world and circumstances or they work for some petty personal gains.
4) Gullible public to various but similar financial frauds
This is a serious not very evident but an underlying social and economic issue. People Kerala are gullible for financial frauds. I remember a time when everyone was planting 'Manjiyam'. Then there was Vanilla. If these took money off farmers; Chitties, Japan beds, Ponzi schemes, disguised religious leaders, made larger public poorer.
Suggested Solution: This can be easily stopped. Public needs to be aware. Government institutions and mechanisms need to be vigilant and take proactive steps rather than abetting such frauds.
This is a serious not very evident but an underlying social and economic issue. People Kerala are gullible for financial frauds. I remember a time when everyone was planting 'Manjiyam'. Then there was Vanilla. If these took money off farmers; Chitties, Japan beds, Ponzi schemes, disguised religious leaders, made larger public poorer.
Suggested Solution: This can be easily stopped. Public needs to be aware. Government institutions and mechanisms need to be vigilant and take proactive steps rather than abetting such frauds.
5) Alcoholism and social acceptance
In Kerala, an alcoholic is socially accepted. There lies the crux for the larger issue of alcoholism in Kerala. Consumption of alcohol is no more a taboo, rather it is socially accepted. In fact you can see people finding pride in consuming alcohol and discussing it in public with people they may not even know. We can overhear them at public places.
In Kerala, an alcoholic is socially accepted. There lies the crux for the larger issue of alcoholism in Kerala. Consumption of alcohol is no more a taboo, rather it is socially accepted. In fact you can see people finding pride in consuming alcohol and discussing it in public with people they may not even know. We can overhear them at public places.
6) Overqualified youth
To me the the best contribution by communism to society is education made accessible to all, equally. The influence of Christian missionaries is unparalleled in education. Both of together created a generation of educated people in Kerala. But they were not provided equally good job opportunities. Many migrated for search of job and better living, other studied more. Now we have lot many graduates and post graduates. they demand either a government job at any rank or a private job justified for their qualification.
Suggested Solution: Solution is not easy here. Only way out is creating a knowledge economy that will provide job opportunity for most of the people in Kerala.
To me the the best contribution by communism to society is education made accessible to all, equally. The influence of Christian missionaries is unparalleled in education. Both of together created a generation of educated people in Kerala. But they were not provided equally good job opportunities. Many migrated for search of job and better living, other studied more. Now we have lot many graduates and post graduates. they demand either a government job at any rank or a private job justified for their qualification.
Suggested Solution: Solution is not easy here. Only way out is creating a knowledge economy that will provide job opportunity for most of the people in Kerala.
7) Parochial and Petty politics
We involve in lot of unwarranted parochial and petty politics across Kerala. We are aware and informed about many things that happen across the world. But we put ourselves in a blind spot when we deal with an issue in our neighbourhood. Every minute issue is blown out of proportions for petty gains of a political party or of few people. Most of them take shape in the form of moral policing.
We involve in lot of unwarranted parochial and petty politics across Kerala. We are aware and informed about many things that happen across the world. But we put ourselves in a blind spot when we deal with an issue in our neighbourhood. Every minute issue is blown out of proportions for petty gains of a political party or of few people. Most of them take shape in the form of moral policing.
8) Demi-Gods
They are every where. We have blind faith in them. We do not believe in our capabilities but rather in the powers of a demi-god. They run enterprises in the name of charity and we do not see their larger interest. Education was thought to bring a change but not in Kerala.
9) Senior Citizens
Better healthcare ensured more life expectancy, and is now a curse to many. When people migrated to other places, they left their parents too. Parents can only be kept here by paying an Old Age Home. People living here also do not want to care their old parents. But don't they grow old and need to be cared by their children one day?
Suggested Solution: We would need a government intervention to take care of our senior citizens.
Better healthcare ensured more life expectancy, and is now a curse to many. When people migrated to other places, they left their parents too. Parents can only be kept here by paying an Old Age Home. People living here also do not want to care their old parents. But don't they grow old and need to be cared by their children one day?
Suggested Solution: We would need a government intervention to take care of our senior citizens.
10) Media
News media should be regulated. We can be the first state to take an initiative here. News media, particularly television, is largely polluting the thoughts of people. Take the example of Mullaperiyar dam, which I wrote earlier here. News media is loud and regressive in Kerala as it is across India.
News media should be regulated. We can be the first state to take an initiative here. News media, particularly television, is largely polluting the thoughts of people. Take the example of Mullaperiyar dam, which I wrote earlier here. News media is loud and regressive in Kerala as it is across India.
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