Thiruvananthapuram: Travelling to Kerala is a bit like being back in mother-in-law country. The dear lady passed on three years ago and Delhi deracinates anyone, in any case, a situation worse confounded by the fact that I’m a north Indian daughter-in-law — but some things remain, like memories of Amma’s food and snatches of Malayalam that have lodged themselves in my subconscious and refuse to be obliterated.
So even though I’m all double-masked up when I land in Thiruvananthapuram, I know I’m watching the unfolding street scenes with the bemused interest of a foreigner — the beautifully paved roads, the spotlessly maintained Museum gardens, the Raj-era architecture of the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, the fact that the men wrap up their ‘mundus’ and tuck up the bottom end into the waist band exposing thigh and leg presumably because of the heat, which doesn’t seem to bother the women because there’s certainly no exposure there.
Make no mistake, if you’re not Malayali, you’re a foreigner — especially if you come from anywhere north of the Vindhyas. The Malayalis, themselves, are kind enough to understand that — they’ve been dealing with foreigners for centuries and absorbing them all in, right from the time of St Thomas the Apostle who showed up in 52 AD, even before Christianity is believed to have travelled to Europe — so they are patient with your clichéd exclamations (‘God’s Own Country’), your inadequate understanding of Church politics (there’s the Orthodox Christians, the Jacobites, the Latin Catholics and the Roman Catholics) and why Politburo members of the ruling CPI(M) don’t want to stand for elections (because they want to control the Party, which controls the people, although there’s no point in confusing this Communism with Malayali characteristics with any other slogan from abroad, including the infamous “dictatorship of the proletariat”).
Meanwhile, words from a language long forgotten are turning over in your brain. Madi. Enough. Venda. Don’t want. Enda peray? What is your name? Arka vote chaiyyam? Who are you voting for?
The hotel you’re staying in is like every other three-four star hotel anywhere in the country — everything is Made in China, from the furniture to the toilet fittings as well as the thick pile of carpet, although why hotels in such warm climes don’t keep their traditional chik curtains and red oxide floor is a discussion for another day — which means that their food tastes like blotting paper. The idlis are dry, the sambhar is thick, the watermelon juice has been artificially sweetened.
Venda.
Also read: Churches, chicken roll and a 5-hour journey between generations in Kerala
Hindi-speaking men in videsh
Better to get out and check out Thiruvananthapuram’s ‘hotels’. They are called hotels, but they are actually small restaurants on the street, with a couple of tables where you can gratefully dump your bag, sit down and just eat. The first night in TVM I stopped at the Akash hotel opposite the NDA media centre because I thought I heard a few words of Hindi – I doubled back. The cook, making a dosha (as versus a dosa in Tamil Nadu), seemed regular enough in his white chef cap on an open tava, but I loitered around. And struck gold.
Sure enough, the male waiters and the chef were speaking in Hindi with one other. Do dosa banao. Ek chicken roast. Ek meen curry. Stuff like that. Of course I had to go in and order. The guy at the counter was a full-blown Malayali — which means he didn’t understand any Hindi and very little English, so he helpfully shook his head from left to right, smiling all the while and saying, “aanh”. Then a waiter crept up and repeated an order in Malayalam. But he was one of them who I had just heard speaking Hindi. What was going on? Yeh kya ho raha hai videsh main?
Aap Hindi bol rahen hain, I said to the man. It was more an accusation than a question.
Of course, he said. “Main Jharkhand se hoon (I am from Jharkhand)”.
Before my eyes could pop out further, he was telling me his story. Hum paanch hain Jharkhand se. Giridih se. Das saal ho gaye idhar. Gaon jaate hain saal main ek baar. Lockdown jab hua, uske pehle hi bhag gaye. Phir phone aaya yahan ke maalik ka, ki aa jao (We are five people here, from Giridih in Jharkhand. Have been working here for 10 years. We heard the lockdown was coming so we escaped and ran home. Some weeks ago, the owner called and said come back).
For the princely sum of Rs 184, I bought a quarter chicken roast — it was to die for — and one Malabar parotta and an appam. A feast for anyone — north or south of the Vindhyas.
Also read: Amma’s memories, sour dosa & wishes for my ‘paati’ — a reporter’s day in western Tamil Nadu
‘Beef-eating Hindus’
The following day, both morning and afternoon were eaten up meeting people. Then it was was 4 pm and now I was hungry again. My driver, Aman, said he knew of a “hotel” near where he lived.
Food Box is run by Atul and his mother, Omana amma. Atul returned from Dubai and Qatar and other Gulf cities, where he worked at the W hotels, because of problems at home and decided to turn this space into a ‘hotel’. Remember this corner joint in Ambalamukku as long as your taste buds are alive.
There was chicken roast and beef curry and aviyal and rice (matta or red rice, of course) and parippu (a yellow dal curry with coconut) and sambhar. To wash down with warm water and mor (buttermilk with ginger and curry leaves).
Memories of Amma, my mother-in-law feeding us breakfast and dinner, day after day after day — looking after our material needs while me and my husband, journalists, tried to change the country — flooded over me. Amma had spoilt us all with her amazing ability to chop up the beans until you couldn’t make them finer, with seasoning everything with a spoonful of coconut oil, hoarding her imported-from-Kerala spices with greater passion than anything else.
How come you’re Hindu and serving beef, I asked Atul. He was surprised with the question. All Hindus eat beef in Kerala, he said.
We eat everything here. Fish and beef and chicken and mutton and pork. No problem.
Omana amma smiled in the corner. This was going to turn out to be another lesson in how Kerala absorbed so many foreign influences, without turning away anyone. I decided to escape with a full stomach.
I wondered, though, what the BJP, trying to gain a toehold in the “shifting sands of Kerala politics” — a phrase I have hijacked from my Kerala guide and philosopher, Gouri Dasan Nair — makes of beef-eating Hindus. Presumably this is much worse than beef-eating Christians in the Northeast, where the BJP quickly dropped its insistence on beef purity when it wanted to fight the elections — it won Meghalaya, where it now runs a coalition government. But the people doing the beef-eating in Kerala are Hindu, supposed to be inside the fold, so what happens now?
For now, as the state goes to the polls on 6 April, the BJP is limiting itself to talking about Sabarimala and why menstruating women should be banned from entering it — there’s no discussion yet about the food habits of Hindus here. Venturing across the gastronomic lakshman rekha could be dangerous for a party even with such ambition.
For the time being, madi. It’s a word that Amma used often and which emerged after I had polished off my thali at Food Box. Enough.
Also read: Observing big changes, digging in to the best cuisine & humming Kishore on Assam poll trail
Jyoti Malhatri and The Print.. You are a disgrace to this society. Your agendas are crystal clear.
Totally agree with Mr. Saravanan D’s comments. One Mr. Aakash says there are pork eating Muslims – which I’m hearing for the fist time in my life. Ms. Malhotra seems to have a real problem with Hindus eating beef in Kerala and BJP not doing anything about it! BJP better stay out of Kerala, this way their problem will be solved. And as far as I know, buffalo meat is what is widely eaten in Kerala and unfortunately it is categorized as beef. So let Kerala and Keralites live with their vices as long as religious fanaticism is not their sole purpose of life. All non beef eating states should learn a lesson or two about religious tolerance and communal harmony from Malayalees.
Ms Rajalakshmi: There are many Muslim who I know personally and who eat pork. Of course, they do not make a song and dance about it. But here in Europe, most people do not wear ineir religion on their sleeves and have a more relaxed attitude to religious restrictions and commands. Many Sikhs do not wear a turban; some upper caste Hindus eat beef; some Mulsim eat pork and drink alcohol; and so on.
Beef is widely consumed in India by Hindus. Dalits, lower castes , tribals etc. consume beef as cows are abundant and beef is cheap. Restricting access to beef is a crime as many poor people lose an important source of nutrition. And in any case, almost all Hindus wear or use leather products and the demand for leather leads to cow slaughter. Indeed, the BJP iteslef promotes leather under its flagship Make in India scheme !
The BJP would do well to stay in the BIMARU belt and leave Kerala to be the relatively peaceful and prosperous place it is. I also endorse your statement commending Mr Saravanan D for his wonderful post.
An elderly Hindu relative of mine in Kerala could not afford heart surgery. He finally approached a Christian hospital which did the surgery almost free. And the surgery was done by a Muslim heart surgeon in the Christian hospital.
That elderly relative of mine is a staunch Hindu. His daughters studied in Christian institutions at low cost. It is a well known fact that many Hindus study in Christian colleges in Kerala and there is no requirement to convert at all. In fact his daughters on their own volition go and pray in the Church to pray once in a while. They are staunch Hindus themselves.
So request Sanghi politicians to keep their politics out of places where they are not really useful to anyone in their daily lives. I am aware most Sanghis claim to do social work but their impact is not sufficiently felt on the ground to be useful for the common man in most places. Maybe Sanghis should build more hospitals, schools and colleges to serve lower classes and low income groups, not just grand temples if they want to make a true difference to the vast majority of the lower classes in India.
Well written ! I appreciate.
Heading itself is very insulting & annoying.India lost the ethical standards of journalism.
Always trying to devide people at large.
PROMOTING LEATHER – THE MAKE IN INDIA HYPOCRISY
The BJP government is speaking with forked tongues when it comes to cow slaughter and beef consumption restrictions on the one hand and promotion of leather on the other hand.
Thus, on the one hand, the Modi government promotes leather exports through the Make In India initiative where the leather industry is touted as one of the sectors in which India enjoys enormous comparative advantages. On the other hand cow slaughter is banned and you even get lynched for transporting cattle to the veterinarian.
The Modi government brags to investors and solicits them with the following pitch:
– The Leather industry in India is consistent in its high export earnings and is among the top 10 foreign exchange earners for India;
– The Leather industry in India is an employment-focused industry, providing jobs to about 4.42 Mn people;
– India is the 2nd largest producer of footwear, 2nd largest exporter of Leather Garments, the 5th largest exporter of Leather Goods and 3rd Largest Exporter of Saddlery and Harness items;
– Domestic market is expected to reach USD 18 Bn by 2020;
– India produces 3 bn sq. feet of leather on an annual basis
Ref: bit.ly/3uob1xx
My questions to the many bhakths and Hindutva intellectuals who want to ban beef consumption and the slaughter of cows.
– Should India shut down the leather industry ? After all, principles are more important than paisa right? So why does the BJP promote the leather industry? Shut it down and hand over the industry to Pakistan.
– How many bhakths eschew the use of leather? After all, even the PM uses leather products like shoes, belt, wallet etc. right ?
– How many jobs are being destroyed in the leather industry due to these idiotic policies?
See the glaring hypocrisy here ? Expect any foreign investors to come to India when they know that India has these absurd laws in place and BJP sponsored vigilantes run amok?
As Napoléon Bonaparte said:
“In politics, absurdity is not a handicap”
There are two aspects to the cow vigilantism and its creation of lawlessness. Leather industrialists are quietly moving business – to Bangladesh, even Bulgaria. Bangladesh has higher per capita income now than India ! And why not, they are working within their abilities and limitations, and are not posing as vishwa guru.
The second problem was aged cows when let lose, destroyed crops, so farmers were mad. Then they sent cows out illegally to BD – corruption thrives, the police take bribes, and they have to sell the cows for lower prices, because it is a buyer’s market for BD, as the seller is desperate to off load just to save his crops. The BJP does not have the money to look after cows in shelters, when it cannot look after ordinary people.
In any case, all this is hypocrisy as you know. Al Kabeer is a big beef exporter and the owner is Hindu. He can get round by paying off the BJP and VHP. It is the small butcher business that is in trouble. Religion is used as a cover for the concentration of business in the hands of the few.
Yesterday, The Print reported that in Haryana, they have brought an arbitrary law of no meat sale on Tuesday. Sikhs and others are mad. Again the small meat shop owners are affected and they are complaining as large online people can supply on Tuesday. Hence, it is a ploy to favour the big business, and drive out the small ones from the competition. The large businesses will then pay off the BJP the protection money they ask.
This style of crony and mafia capitalism backed by vigilante laws will put off FDI.
Keralites are cunning one, they go to any extent for earn money. Beef eating hindus are there but I haven’t heard about pork-eating muslims so far. Political crimes are on top in India, may be due to communist cult. Muslims violate law and order but no administration bothers, appeasement politics is the reason. Youth don’t tend to work in kerla but are ready to do any petty job in out of state. Overall people are hypocrite, lazy and fraud.
Why don’t you BIMARU barbarians go and do what you ate good at – hunting for more Nirbhayas and Aruna Shaunbaghs to rape and ravage, murder more baby girls, lynch some more Dalits and Muslims and overpopulate by breeding like sewer rats…..let us in Kerala be…….And don’t worry we’ll continue to focus on development, healthcare etc so that we can keep contributing the much needed taxes to feed your sorry lazy underdeveloped arses…..
SARAVANA BHAVAN AT SIACHEN GLACIER ?
In 2015, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, extended the ban on the slaughter of cattle to the Armed Forces. This has meant that the 130 odd Military Farms operated by the Indian Armed Forces and the roughly 25,000 heads of cattle will now be let loose. Presumably, the vegetarianism drive of the BJP will make Indian soldiers tougher and unbeatable when confronting their decidedly meat eating Chinese and Pakistani counterparts.
Saravana Bhavan, the south Indian chain that only serves vegetarian fare will probably open an outlet in the Siachen glacier and perhaps also at Golwan. Maybe piping hot idlis submerged in sambar and masala dosa with coconut chutney may just be what the military men need to win battles at high altitudes !
As the American writer Patrick Rothfuss said:
“Power is okay, and stupidity is usually harmless. Power and stupidity together are dangerous”
It is interesting to see there reaction of two kinds, based on misinterpretation of the article.
Firstly northerners are enraged because she highlights beef eating is normal to Hindus in Kerala. Certainly, Keralans are too civilised and will not lynch people over a cow. That is of course taken by northerners as saying ‘see there are civilised Hindus in other places, who happen to eat beef, and more importantly would not think of indulge in beastly cruelty to humans by lynching them over it.’ The message is meant to broaden the mind of the northerner, but he will tend to react with fury and incomprehension – he is backward, but backward people do not like to be told that.
Some Keralans are also annoyed. Highlighting beef eating Hindus makes Keralans look abnormals (although the author’s intent was to portray that as a positive trait). Other Keralans want to make the point that there are Keralan Hindus who share Sanghi resentments against Muslims and Christians.
Just as the author has been attacked by northerners and the Keralan Hindutva type, I have been denounced by both as a northern ‘liberandu’; by the first for not accepting the supremacy of cow belt and Gujarati Hindus to impose their culture on Kerala, and the second as a northerner who does not know how the Hindus in Kerala are suffering and living under terror due to Muslims and Christians.
Mr Akash: You make a neat typology of the reactions that have come in to your many incisive, and as is to be expected from you, thought-provoking comments here.
Frankly, Sir, after nearly 7 years of Führer Modi’s carpet-bombing of the country with his vile, vicious and vacuous ideology called Hindutva, one should not be surprised that it has started to spread even in the educated Southern states of the country. Thus, there are pockets of Hindutva nonsense in certain areas of Kerala, just as there is nasty Islamism in some regions and equally bigoted evangelical Christianity as well.
But in general, the average Malayali has nothing but a bemused contempt for brash, loud-mouthed North Indians and their cult like devotion to Führer Modi. He knows that purveyors and propagandists for “acche din” and their previous synonyms come and go in Delhi and he cannot trust them. He knows that he needs to go to the Gulf or outside India to make a living. He also knows that strong, relatively clean and human capital development focused economic policies have generally been provided by successive state governments in Kerala. The average Malayali knows that Adityanath’s thuggish Hindutva or then CM Modi’s pogrom centric development styles do not yield high levels of literacy, good medical care and high standards of living. It was indeed comical to watch that saffron thug Adityanath descend on Kerala and proffer advice on how to run the state !
Despite all that, it is true that Hindutva ideology, sadly has made inroads into Kerala. Even otherwise respectable people like metroman E.Sreedharan seem to have sacrificed their principles and jumped into the Hindutva bandwagon. And it is truly sad that these Keralite Hindutva fellows behave like their semi-literate, uncouth, itchy-testicled North Indian gaurakshak brethren to indulge in some cheap name calling. I have scanned through the comments and none of them succeed in refuting your fact-based assertions Mr Akash.
The comments of these Hindutvadis remind me of a quote from Socrates:
“Life is full of questions. Idiots are full of answers”
Do write often Mr Akash – always a pleasure to read a sane, sober comments that expose the absence of “achche din” in Modistan.
It is Gujaratis and northern Indians who spoilt India. One wit remarked India was partitoned due to three Gujaratis – Gandhi and his Ram Rajya, Patel who endorsed partition enthusiastically saying ‘if the limbs are diseased, cut them off’ and the equally obstinate Jinnah !
The chief architect of modern India’s downwards slide was Advani. He comunalised Hindus and leigitimised mob politics in the 1990s. Worse people like Modi were to follow. And even worse is to come with Yogi.
In the south, Bangalore and Karnataka were communalised by the influx of northern Indians and Sanghis. Before, Kannadigas were mild mannered sobre fellows – like Kumble and Dravid. They were proud of Tipu, they saw him as one of their own. Now they too have been communalised. They breed Yeddis and Tejaswi Suryas, all foaming at the out with an exaggerated Hindu pride and rage.
Hence, it was a matter of time before they assaulted Kerala. The existence of a people who were not burning with resentment had to be changed. Sabarimala became an issue of Hindu pride – fortunately, no Muslims and Christians were involved, the rage was against the secular left which ‘did not give respect to Hindu sentiment’. Against Muslims, they look for some issue and lie about it – Harry keeps raising Moplah rebellion of the 1920s to you. The RSS rages against it although it is not in any Keralan’s mind, and they see it as an agrarian uprising against landlordism, just like the farmers agitation of the present is not a Sikh uprising. The Sanghis are also trying to pit Christians against Muslims in Kerala. But Christians know the attack against Keralan Christians on the train recently.
All this is backed by money power. The Kerala BJP’s Surendran now flies by helicopter. With money, people can be bought.
Despite all this, the Keralans have the education and intellect to resist becoming dumb bhakts. A Keralan told me that even the BJP’s Rajgopalan mentioned that the BJP has problems in Kerala because the people are too literate !
Don’t lynch people for cow ,but chop a guy 51 times because he didn’t agree with your politics or cut off another s wrist because you feel he offended your prophet or slaughter a teacher in front of his 7th std students.
All very civilized acts in god’s own country.
Your journalist knowledge about How to select title is zero. Send him for training then ask for donation.
Beef eating Hindus, pork eating Muslims, beef, pork and chicken eating Christians, malayalam speaking jharkhand employee – what a sensational heading . The author should have realised before giving a sensational caption that Kerala, the God’s own country , is very different from the rest of states of India. Kerala culture is very unique and the Keralities do not allow the dung and pee to get into their craniums. Keralities live happily with peace and perfect harmony without showing religious intolerance against one another. This is the very reason why Keralities celebrate the harvest festival called”ONAM” by one and all irrespective of one’s cast and creed.
So it is better for author to stop writing such sensational article about Kerala for some monetary benefits without knowing the culture and the unity in diversity attitude of Keralities…..
Very well said.
Mr Vishnu Chari: You hit the nail on the head when you say:
“.. Kerala culture is very unique .. Keralities do not allow .. dung and pee to get into their craniums ..”
Alas, dung and pee culture has now inflitrated the highest ranks of government and most of the black hole called BIMARU. Hopefully, Keralites will vote to keep these false prophets away from God’s own Country. And perhaps give metroman E.Sreedharan his marching orders and pack him off to some BIMARU paradise !
We can see lot of comments on beef or about religions based priorities. Yes, it is a fact that many are acting as protectors of Cows and at the same time they conveniently ignore the fact that India is the second biggest exporter of beef. Someone may say that it is the meet of buffalo. Why supporters of Cows not bothered about banning export of beef from India and why Indians prefer to migrate to beef eaters countries like Europe, Australia, USA, Canda, Middle East etc? Can’t you make India a Vegetarian country? Please do something better to save all the animals and birds. Stop killing fish also.
Insects too should not be killed in the Vishwaguru. One can start by not killing the mosquito !
We can see lot of comments on beef or about religions based priorities. Yes, it is a fact that many are acting as protectors of Cows and at the same time they conveniently ignore the fact that India is the second biggest exporter of beef. Someone may say that it is the meet of buffalo. Why supporters of Cows not bothered about banning export of beef from India and why Indians prefer to migrate to beef eaters countries like Europe, Australia, USA, Canda, Middle East etc? Can’t you make India a Vegetarian country? Please do something better to save all the animals and birds. Stop killing fish also.
Visit of St Thomas is a myth ……..You like it or dont like it Hinduism is a part and parcel of India Christianity Islam are from foreign country whatever you do cant make them Indian…………
It might be myth, not sure… But Hinduism is full of myth and very less truth and this religion came to Kerala around 10 th century after bufhism and Jainism
How could it be if Buddhism and Jainism are the byproducts of Hinduism? Making comments for the sake of replying is rubbish.
You bray:
“.. Christianity Islam are from foreign country whatever you do cant make them Indian ..”
Is there a checklist of sorts that identifies the features of Indians as opposed to non-Indians? For instance, will this checklist of yours flag the North Sentinalese of the Andaman Island Archipelago as being Indians? What about people from Sikkim ? Nagaland? Tribals ?
I think the world would be grateful to you if you can publish this checklist that helps identify Indians fron non-Indians !!!
I am always agree with walteyer famous proverb ,Main aap ki bato se sahmat hun ki nahi ,lekin vichar pragat karane ki aap ke adhikaro ki rachha karunga ,
But do not show your arrogance against hindusm ,cow is verry sensible and useful for huminity ,lots of Hindus beliefs that’s cow is mother ( GAU MATA),and more than 99% indian are never use beef .
It’s a hateful article n never support such foolish writers .
Mr Rupesh: Do you wear or use leather products? Doesn’t your demand for leather not result in the slaughter of cattle? CAre to inform me as to why the Gau Mata revering BJP government backs the leather industry through its Make in India initiative? Want to hand over to Pakistan, Bangladesh and China an industry that employs more than 4 million people and is one of the top foreign exchange earners for India?
If you really believe in this gau mata stuff, demonstrate and ask Modi to shut down the leather industry. But please do not go about lynching people who wear leather – I know it runs against your gaurakshak instincts and the Hindutva philosophy you adhere to. But don’t lynch !
You can see the website of the leather sector here: bit.ly/3uob1xx
I’m a Keralite myself and I don’t know why there’s this much hate the towards this article. But I personally could acknowledge the scenario from the journalist’s perspective.
I mean the fact they used the title to draw much more attention, is an obvious move, there’s nothing to be surprised. That’s how it has been with news agencies and it’s not much easy for them either.
And she would be surprised at the very sight of Hindus consuming beef, just as much as we’re surprised at those questions from other north Indians (I personally hate to divide us on the basis of regions) relating to the consumption of beef by Hindus. It’s just a cultural shock and nothing more. It’s not like she condemned their actions, but it was just outta curiosity, to which the lady(Omana Amma) replied with a smile. There’s no reason to be butthurt about that. We should just learn to accept people for what they are regardless of the region or anything and we could try to respect her point of view as she was brought up in a culture which could be quite surprising for us. And since when is it acceptable to be hateful towards someone who’s just being curious?
It never is.
All said and done, Keralans have something that makes them stand out in a positive sense from the rest of India. They demonstrated that during the flood relief in Kerala. Christian fisherman rescued many people with their boats. Muslims open their mosques and gave people shelter. Likewise many Hindu officials in the administration distinguished themselves in service of the citizens. Keralans received accolades in the international media. Contrast the difference between Kerala and the north in the handling of Covid. After the outbreak of Covid, northern Indians jumped on it and saw it as an opportunity to bash Muslims. In Kerala, the health minister Shailaja Teacher foresaw the danger and put into operation a scheme in Jan 2020 for tracking students returning from China. Kerala was therefore praised in the international media.
Whereas India is getting a bad press internationally, Kerala receives a positive image, so they must be doing something right. This infuriates the Sanghis and they are working overtime to create communal disturbances in Kerala.
Recently the BJP has appointed metro man Sreedharan to contest for the BJP. Sreedharan showed all the familiar bhakti for Modi – and anger against Modi’s critics. He walked out of an interview when a TV interviewer questioned whether he was comfortable working with Modi’s polarisation. He raged that the media was vilifying Modi continuously and unfairly . He wanted positive news.
Recently, a Keralan sent me a video of a BJP candidate approaching a Christian Father asking him to support him, saying the Christians are being disadvantaged like Hindus, by Muslims. Some of it was in English, so I could understand. The BJP candidate fabricated a story that Muslim imams were getting salaries from taxes paid by Christians and Hindus. The Quint and The Hindu newspaper explained that this was a lie. Imams in Kerala (like all other associations including toddy workers) who contribute to a pension fund get a pension as per their contributions. The Christian father listened politely but did not reply to the BJP man – the Father’s contemptuous silence showed he did not believe it ! Christian leaders were not taken by the BJP’s effort to use Christians to bash Muslims. The same BJP fellows had raised complaints against Christians for dominating the fishing industry.
For the BJP, it is not beef, it is about Hindus being antagonistic to Muslims and Christians. That brings power. And power is money. The country is secondary.
Holy Crap! Another wannabe ‘journo/blogger’ trying to instill malyalism to malayalees. When are you going to accept reality for what it is and not try to force fit us into a forced narrative as the powers that be would like to portray us! Read my lips – We are mallus, we are educated, we love our culture (the mundu, up or down, being part of our cultural identity), we love all our people and really have no time to waste on pedantic and bhakt inspired unravelling of the Keralite. We have no beef with you or your ilk – let us be!
Je suis d’accord !
Bhakths and itchy-testicled North Indian gaurakshaks should get out of Kerala and take metroman E.Sreedharan along with them to their BIMARU black holes !
As some one said earlier, Ms.Journalist, has not done enough research in the subject.
95% of beef we eat are Buffalo meat. Cow meat consumption is few only.
In between Christian churches in Kerala is mentioned as Latin Catholic and Roman Catholic. Ms.Journalist, for your information there is only one church in Kerala, which is coming under direct authority of Vatican. That is Latin Catholic Church.
This leftist communist Jyoti Malhotra should be taken to court for hurting Hindu sentiments as beef eating , was she blind not to see pork eating Muslims in Kerala. This communist was feeling at home to charge and disgrace Hindus in Kerala and disturb peace in Kerala.
‘Jyoti Malhotra should be taken to court for hurting Hindu sentiments as beef eating , was she blind not to see pork eating Muslims in Kerala.’
That comes across as a burning inferiority complex with respect to Muslims.
There is plenty of evidence that Hindus in Kerala eat beef. There is scant evidence Muslims eat pork. You made that up for compensation as you somehow see Kerala Hindus are disgracing Hinduism (as defined by the north). You think Hinduism should be certified by the north. Kerala Hindus represent a loss of face for your claims about Hinduism and the cow, so you react thus.
The real issue is Hindus (in the north, not Kerala) kill human beings over the cow. That is abnormal. No species kills it own over eating another species. That is how the outside world sees it – not just the west, but people in Kerala and other parts of India.
I don’t know why you bring Muslims and pork. No Muslim in India is killing anyone for eating pork. He avoids it.
Who said in kerala we get cow meat only… anytime….u got the wrong information my dear friend b&d….
Mr Maneesh: There are many egregious errors in your pathetic post.
There are 2 kinds of meat: buff and beef. The former is buffalo meat and the latter is meat derived from the cow. Both are eaten all over India, including in Kerala. Indeed, the BJP, realising that many Hindus actually eat beef and ever willing to discard ideology for votes, allows the consumption of beef in 8 states: Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim and Lakshadweep.
As regards Churches. There are many denominations of Catholicism in Kerala and not all of them come under the authority of the Vatican despite Portuguese attempts to Latinise Christianity in Kerala and extend Papal power to Kerala. TThe arrival of the British saw the introduction of the Anglican Church in Kerala and this church opposes the Pope. More recent evangelisation has resulted in the introduction of Protestantism in Kerala.
Things are a lot more complicated and nuanced at the grassroots than your simplistic worldview Mr Maneesh.
Not all Hindus eat beef in Kerala nor do all Muslims eat pork.
Two, the story of St Thomas in Kerala is one of pious belief, not history. It’s a sixteenth century myth based on a Portuguese misunderstanding of the so-called Gospel of St Thomas which the church always dismissed as spurious. That text anyway claimed that St Thomas traveled to what is now Baluchistan, not Kerala!
What we have evidence for is that a Thomas, a merchant from Syria, moved to Kerala in the 4th century. He was a monophysite Syrian Orthodox who moved to avoid persecution by the Greek church. But to say that Christianity came to Kerala before it went to Europe reveals an ignorance of church history. The Epistles in the New Testament Bible were written in Greece and Rome. No Christian scripture was authored in Kerala. The Christian scripture was originally penned in Greek, not Malayalam!
Mar Thoma did come to Kerala to the Jews of Kerala. You can see accounts of Knanaya Thoman asking local Christians of their tradition and them explaining to him that they are of the 500 families that Mar Thoma converted to a form of Messianic Judaism aka Christianity. The Jewish aspect was preserved until 1600s when the Synod of Daimper banned practicing of Judaism by Christians (of Jewish descent).
There has been mention of St Thomas trvel to India in ancient accounts like the Hymns of St Ephrem in the 4th Century.
There is no clinching proof of St Thomas coming to India , but we accept it based on faith of the traditions of our forefathers. If Hindus can accept their Gods, Saints and Epics without proof then so can we.
George,
The Hymns of St Ephrem the Syrian mention the Iranian coast, not the lagoons and backwaters of Kerala! I said the visit of St Thomas was pious belief, not history. You are right in that it’s like the Puranas.
And Nathanial’s point of St Thomas alleged outreach to the Jews of Kerala is also myth. The first mention of the Jewish presence in Kerala was in the 12th century.
Ms Arundhati: Many Dalit Hindus all over India eat beef as do tribals, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Parsis etc. Also, there are no restrictions against the consumption of beef for Sikhs.
What people eat depends on their religion, region, caste and even class. Modi’s one size fits all approach will not work. About time Hindutva intellectuals like you get that into your skull.
I am not happy going through is article this is so judgemental and a company which is so established should go through what they publish.
Why don’t you change the caption to cows milk drinking hindu? And write another story? Where the cow has to go through insemination then give birth and being mechanically milked until blood comes from this mammary glands. And later at its old age its send to streets at the mercy of plastic bags as slow killer of cows.
Writer of this article please do an article of the same if you think you are a true HINDU and explain what is Hinduism as well as its origin and term hindu. I challenge you for the same
It made great sense what ever you just said, but I do have this feeling that this article is not just portraying Kerala is a beef eating state, but some cliché’s and typicality of some! This is more of a lighter note article than a case study
Uh, sensitive topic?
The person who wrote the article, Ms. Jyothi is a north Indian, as mentioned clearly.
Any Keralite who has lived in the northern states of India for some stretch of time would understand why she was amused, and I also suppose that one would have even felt the heat at least a couple of times at how touchy the topic (or even the word) ‘beef’ is, during their stay there.
I have, – and couple of times. I once had a stranger who overheard my conversation that I was from Kerala, who could not stand it, come over and made the statement, “Oh! Kerala? So you a beef-eater!!?” (Wish more people shared their experiences) Let me mention one more: a young well-educated and working lady from Delhi, who came to know I am from Kerala, had a similar question for me, fuming with anger she also added that I am eating her god and resorted to name-calling. Do I know them personally? No. It surprised me that just at the thought of my State Kerala, their brain links to eating beef! I still find it amusing. Had instances where we had to tread cautiously – on a seemingly small matter : food!
So to me, it doesn’t seem that the writer was amused at the individual-choices of food. It might have just seemed strange as you don’t see most (I guess) of them having beef in the North, or atleast the majority are vehemently against it.
Yet the people who spread this as a hatred is very vocal and to your face, ready for a fight, as you can see in some comments here.
Funny though, the writer stated how Keralites have been welcoming, and yet having a look at the comments it doesn’t seem so. I don’t understand what is the issue if she was amused on seeing/hearing something different from what she was accustomed to seeing/hearing.
the very title is creepy
Beef eating Hindus? No, that is not a right adjective.
It’s unfortunate that, Hindus/ Beef- Eating Hindus are used here as a title, as if it is some odd category of people.
We here in Kerala, don’t bother about one’s religion. We don’t care and we don’t want to care about one’s religion.
It might be strange for a Northie, I don’t know. But, we see people for people not a as Hindus/Christians/Muslims.
To be sure, you are right.
‘It might be strange for a Northie, I don’t know. But, we see people for people not a as Hindus/Christians/Muslims.’
The article was written to open the minds of northerners who have become close minded, and over sensitive, and filled with notions of false pride, and religious one upmanship. India’s degradation started in the north in the 1990s, and the man responsible for that was Advani. He brought the culture of mob violence and Hindu vigilantism. It is not possible to incite that in an educated state – although the Sanghis are trying it through Sabarimala. They cannot rest in peace till they destroy the bonds between Hindus and others, in all corners of India. That is nationalism according to them. It is in fact just a cynical and corrupt method to gain power for a few. Power for a few = money for a few.
It burns the Sanghis that Keralans do not buy into their ideology, so they are going to attack Keralans with a vengeance, using their money power and polarisation. Keralans need to stand firm. Communal amity is what has brought Kerala a favourable image internationally (and even nationally those who are not Hindu extremists admire Keralans). Mob violence, lynchings and rape under the BJP have discredited India overall. They know this is true, so they rage now even against the west. Their fury is why should Kerala be different, and have a good name, they should be like us !
Guys this is just another desperate north india trying to get publicity by creating a controversy. Just fact check to notice how much north indian filth is in this article than the truth.
Cow eats grass.. Its milk is pure.. So is it’s meat… Beef is the best pure healthy and tasty…. Those who don’t eat are stupids…… Now I want to know how non beef eaters feel with my comment…
Fool…go check the problem face in health eating red meat
Beef ? tastes good and good for health eat that too. Those who don’t eat beef ? are stupid and idiots ????
Try pork curry. It is equally good if not better. Even pugs are fed nutritional food these days.
So is Pork…fed on milk powder of grass eating cows…and it’s super tasty…you should try
Then go and I pork also. It also taste very good .it’s very healthier more than here .logo.
I tried pork its super delicious suggest you to eat and feed your whole community so that they change their mindset.
I do wanna eat beef(never tasted before) but here in North India, it’s illegal☹️.
Honestly I don’t see any difference in eating chicken or beef. BTW I’m hindu
You are brahmin also. an intellectual over educated brahmin. However time is very good thing and karma does it job. Its individual choice after all. But how can one decide fate of any living thing except you yourself consider yourself a god.
Most Indian Hindus I entertain here in Europe relish beef. And most of them chafe at the unnecessary restrictions that the BJP places on beef and meat consumption. It is mind boggling that in the year 2021 AD, governments will decide what you put on your plate.
Welcome to Modistan !
Yeah the pork is also delicious you and your whole community should also try it and youe can change your mindset
Pork is very delicious and good for health. Try eat and feed your family and community. I tried it suggests you to try
Are you a pakistani
Why don’t you eat pigs
There is many Pork Eating Muslims in india also want examples visit North East for them pork is also pure.FYI
Qur’an mentioned that Allah prohibits eating the flesh of swine, because it is a SIN and an IMPIETY (Rijss). This word Rijss (abdomination) has been mentioned ten times in the Qur’an in different context, some are directly related to pork, alcohol, raffle, gambling, idols, while others are indirectly related to HUMAN MANNERS). The word Rijss has been explained as meaning “filthy” and “dirty” as mentioned in the Qur’an (9:95), (7:70), (9:96), (10:100), (22:30) and (33:33).
Religion has nothing to do with what food we eat,Hindus Christians Muslims,anybody can eat beef or chicken..u can see a “beef eating hindu” or a “vegan muslim”,its our choice…I’m a Hindu and I don’t eat beef but not because I’m “pro bjp”(Majority of Keralites are not, including me) but because I just don’t like it…and the fact that it surprises some people is just sad…sad that they don’t have the freedom to decide what they want because of a religion or a political party
Religion and culture in combination has everything to do with general food you eat everyday. Like Kashmir pandit took meat due to climatic conditions . But still don’t eat onion or garlic. Similarly Jews have religious belief of not mixing dairy and meat . Similarly Catholic Christian don’t eat meat on friday. Religious belief can also be seen in big multinational fast food company local menus.
We are Hindus. We eat beef. So what?
And for your information, Kerala is not in an exo solar planet that you need to teach Indians of other states. Comments above shows how much people appreciate your narration of prejudice
Check the fact what happen eating red meat
Very well said.
Wow ,
A lot of negativity in the comments .
Wanted to just record that there are Keralites (Keralite) who like this article too , just to give the ratios some salvageability,
but negativity spreads 6 times faster than positivity in cyber space (cant find a citation but pretty sure Lanier Jaron said this) ,
so multiply me by 6 (or 10 given this is …….INDIA )when you take the stats .
Lovely response.
No comments on the article tho coz I don’t want to incite further comments either way. Though there was a lot I would have liked to say….
Btw I liked the article too. Especially the Perceived perspective from the author wrote it.
Wow. Show of love. Why do you think the author uses this specific title in the first place? To gain publicity whether negative or not. People who posted negative comments fell for it. You fell for it twice tha the negative commenters fell for it.
Dumbass Journalist. Is this the modern way journalism. With no proper reasearch jumping into conclusions.
1. “Beef ” in kerala is not mostly Cow meat. Its often buffalo meat. Only few people use cow meats.
2.The fact that the owner has Hindi speaking workers should mean tat the guy knows hindi.
3. Beef eating Hindus? What kind of person would ask a person his religion and question wat they eat in just first meeting. Oops sanghi or BJP
Red meat unhealthy as per research
Still poratta and beef is Devine
Okay, take care of yourself and your health first. If one believes vegetarianism is most healthy, please stick to it. But no need to impose yourself on others.
The print proves it again that they belong to PRESSTITUTES group of journalism. Their only motive is to demean Hindu culture but…….no one can do it
Mr Gajanand Agarwal : On what basis do you claim that The Print is demeaning Hindu culture ? Is Hindu culture monolithic ? Is Hindu culture to defined by you gomutra swilling BIMARU “intellectuals” ?
The amount of bullshit this person has vomited is shocking! I guess The Print has no other news hence they gave space to such people. The amount of judgement and resentment this woman has is beyond toxic!
Zero content in the article and the author has got zilch idea about Kerala and the society here. Shows “The Print” in very poor light to be even allowing these kind of childish articles to be published on its platform.
Zero content in the article and the author has got zilch idea about Kerala and the society here. Shows “The Print” in very poor light to be even allowing these kind of childish articles to be published on its platform.
Eating beef is nothing to be ashamed of in kerala … Most people eat beef including some hindus …
Yes Hindus names with a communist.dalits doesnt mean whole community
Madi. Enough. Venda. Don’t want. Enda peray? What is your name? Arka vote chaiyyam? Who are you voting for?
Full marks for trying, but 3 of 4 are wrong.
It’s mathi, not madi
Venda – right
Entha/Enda peru (not peray)
Arku vote cheyyum or Arka vote cheyyunne?
Mr Krishnan: Well, Malayalam words are being transcribed into Latin letters and there will be inaccuracies in the process. And I were to split hairs with you, I would write “enough” as
“madhi” and not “madi” or mathi.
“Madi” also means laziness so the correct transcription would be madhi.
And then you have dialects and sosiolects to contend with – my parents come form 2 different regions of Kerala and their accents are different.
But should one quiblle about these silly things ? People generally get the meaning across even when there are mistakes in pronunciation.
Journalist… ? ?
You are good for nothing.
BJP has 2 seats out of 60 and you said it’s ruling in Meghalaya, even If they were kicked out MDA still having a majority no one bother BJP here except the candidate who bother non Tribal vote bank from his constituency.
Quit saying “Beef eating Hindu” you grass eating dumbhead.
We keralites are just free to eat anything we want that’s all. I don’t expect your puny little brain to understand what it means to be in Kerala but just know that you don’t have the space to apprehend it in your narrow mind. So you are in No position to judge us.
Hindus who eat beef are seen everywhere. You just happen to see a lot in Kerala that’s all. And you write as if it’s a necessity for people to know Hindi wherever you go, because you obviously don’t know Malayalam. People’s food choices are their own and other people who try to police them about it are just petty inferior people who have no better jobs to do. If your faith is rattled by another person eating beef, is it even strong?
Worthless article. Nothing there to read an waste your 10 minutes. Another thing is that ethics of journalism is Missing in the article. You cannot generalize the entire Hindu community of Kerala on the basis of an individual’s statement
Total stupidity…u made a mess man..nothing in this article..and the word beef eating hindus…is total nonsense.
What is wrong with the phrase “beef-eating Hindus” ? Plenty of Hindus eat beef.
Kerala is much more interesting than what these literates portray.Here people are allowed to think and have a voice.Its upto an individual to what he eats and the perspective of life what he thinks.Its a free social world .Enjoy it.
So then muslim can also eat beef in kerala without being have to worry about getting there self killed
Yus ur more safe to eat beef in kerala than almost any indian state
Now everybody knows why news media is in crisis!! Only you can fix it!
News media is in crisis because it has such foolish , ignorant, immature people on the field. Nobody can fix it.
The apostle who came to India in 52 AD is St.Thomas and mot John as mentioned in your article.
I also found pork eating Muslims in the state.. I used to live there for 3 years
Don’t do balancing act…
Why do you mind ?….
How could it be if Buddhism and Jainism are the byproducts of Hinduism? Making comments for the sake of replying is rubbish.
Loved the narration. Kerala is a beautiful place indeed.
Nothing to say other than recommend ThePrint to advise their “journalists(?)”to do some study before publishing anything. This article seems like the author has some grudge against Keralites and Kerala and just spurt out what’s in her mind ( can anyone guess the reason).
Still waiting for an article where Muslims eating pork makes headline.. no? Nobody? Guess it’s just me then guilting Hindus for being religious and trying to influence them into eating beef, considering cow has a major symbolic significance in Hinduism. But it’s all fine, just making bhagwa dhari sanghis secular and tolerant
No Muslim eat pork that’s for sure
Pork is prohibited for Jews & Muslims. Mapillas will never touch pork. But CPM atheists donning Islamic names may be an exception rather than a rule.
They definitely do here lol…you’re definitely barking the same shit you accuse others off
Mr. Altamash: I personally know of several Muslims who do eat pork. Can you not be a Muslim and also eat pork? Do you get ex-communicated if you are a Muslim and eat pork ? After all, barring the BIMARU “intellectuals” who support people like Adityanath, Modi, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and other assorted Hindutva icons, the vast majority of Hindus – like most normal Indians – wouldn’t care what you put on your plate. Right ?
You are kidding right?
Ms Kavleen Marwah: In India,what you eat is dictated by your religion, region, caste and often class. Traditionally, upper caste Hindus have shunned beef, at least whilst in India. But that statement needs to be qualified by regional variations in cuisine. Beef is widely eaten by Hindus in Kerala, Assam, Tripura, Sikkim, Nagaland etc. Indeed, the BJP itself acknowledges this. Indeed, Bharatiya BJP leader Sunil Deodhar indicated that the BJP will not implement a beef ban in Tripura, to respect the demands of the majority of its people.
Additionally, you pontificate:
“.. cow has a major symbolic significance in Hinduism ..”
Well does that mean that you eschew leather products Ms Marwah? After all no cow, no leather right ?
Hinduism is certainly not a one size fits all religion with massive variation in cultural and culinary practices across the length and breadth of the country. But the BJP and the RSS are hell bent on imposing some standardised version of Hinduism on the populace. Unless the upper caste Hindu supporters from the gomutra belt a.k.a. BIMARU accept this fact, you will only weaken the already fragile unity of India.
Lame, has no idea about kerala. Keralites speak English, hindi and many other languages fluently.
Now its time to teach them all hindi for all over india and across the india, after independence politicians or congress leave the south on won way for own profit , but time start now , theach them all about Indian sanatan culture.
Jyoti Malhotra’s last two articles explaining Modi’s genius outplaying our neighbours etc. left me wondering why some people have one foot in the liberal camp and the other in the Hindu camp.
It is interesting to know about her Keralan affiliation, even if it is corrupted by living in the north with vigilantes.
Kerala always had an international reputation, and the Kerala model was known in UN circles. The Gujarat model is only known in India and that is related to inciting pogroms. In the last 10 years Kerala’s reputation has climbed : the flood relief, cooperation of the citizenry rising above communalism and active govt.. coordination made international headlines. Likewise the exceptional handling and anticipation of Covid by Shailaja teacher made it to the BBC. The BBC interviewer asked her whether she can offer guidance to the UK ! It is the only state that looked after the migrant workers. Contrast that with what was happening in the rest of India at the outset of Covid. Arnob and the BJP IT cell and the bhakths saw in Covid another opportunity to bash Muslims. Instead of preparing to handle and solve problems, they were busy with one upmanship. Keralans on the other hand are more serious people.
Of course all this does not bring the appreciation of BJP supporters, they get enraged when they hear Hindus are getting on with Muslims and Christians, so they plot to destroy that amiability. Keralans being literate should not get sucked into the cesspit of communalism of northern India.
Awash, R u from from kerala. I am a keralite. That too from malabar area. OK. As far as my opinion about ur message here about kerala, u know next to nothing about kerala. Yes once upon a time kerala was gods own country with all communities living in full harmony and love. Not any more. Why because of the fanatic Muslims and the corrupt selfish commies and congys who only wants to divide people for power sake. Hindus are being relegated to second class citizen status. Money flows in abundance through different Christian countries and Muslim countries to make kerala Hindus convert into either Muslims or Christians. Moreover the Muslims in North kerala are very active in smuggling arms gold drugs with the aim of becoming rich and they dominate kerala with the connivance of our loafer cunning corrupt politicians. That is the political and social scenario in kerala now. Don’t think every think is hunky dory in kerala between Hindus and Muslims. Do u r homework before commenting on social media
Sanghis are there in Kerala also pumping their reptilian venom, and you may have absorbed their resentment politics. I merely said that by and large Keralans are less communal and intelligent than a Gujurati.Metro. Sreedharan has come out for the BJP. He showed all the familiar bhakti for Modi and anger against Modi’s critics. You are like him. I never said there are no Sanghis in Kerala. If God’s Own Country is being spoilt as you allege, the cause the Sanghis.
Nevertheless despite the Sanghis, Keralans distinguished themselves in the flood relief . And also in facing up to the challenge of Covid, they were professional.
The communities in Kerala lived in harmony, so the Sanghis cannot bear it. They become jealous. They have problems when they see Hindus getting on with Muslims and Christians. They would like to break it.
Recently, a Keralan sent me a video of a BJP candidate approaching a Christian Father asking him to support him, saying the Christians are being disadvantaged like Hindus by Muslims. Some of it was in English, so I could understand. The BJP candidate fabricated a story that Muslim imams were getting salaries from taxes paid by Christians and Hindus. The Quint and The Hindu explained that this was a lie. Imams in Kerala (like all other associations including toddy workers) who contribute to a pension fund get a pension as per their contributions. The Christian father listened politely but did not reply to the BJP man – the silence showed he did not believe it ! Christian leaders were not taken by the BJP’s communalism trying to use Christians to bash Muslims. The same BJP fellows had raised complaints against Christians for dominating the fishing industry.
And Kerala model was defeated badly by UP and Bihar.Both the states despite battling migrant crisis and having very high population density managed to annihilate Kerala and it’s imaginary model for past one year of Covid.
Akash I’m sure you are one upper caste “Liberandu” from north india. Cl arly you only see news from print wire and other commie agenda driven portals. Malayalees have been forced to travel to ither states including Gujarat for job thanks to no jobs in kerala. Most are in gulf. It’s their remittance that’s running kerala you moron. Iv been in gujarata and there is no riot post godra what riots are you blabbering bout?? I bet you won’t know about riots in kerala like marad riots, Trivandrum riots etc. Just like this half brained writer who thinks lungi/mundu is folded by men due to “heat” your north indian Liberandu morons have your set of ideas about kerala mostly due to Kerala not boring bjp. Kerala is not “developed” in the sense that most malayalees have to go outside state for jobs and it’s due to self employment that the so called “kerala model” is running. If gulf countries banned foreigners the kerala would be another bengal. So instead of puking nonsense over here why don’t you north indian upper caste liberandus focuss on. Tyour own states. Like we say “Onnu poda”
What I have seen is Keralans have the education and because of that, the capacity and the capability to adapt to anywhere, in any situation, learn any language, and not be a nuisance to others. They don’t bring with them the baggage of religious fanaticism, anti-science beliefs, violence and rape. So even if they have to go outside to earn and send remittances, they have not disturbed the host country or the other states in India. They are leading in all indicators of development. Alright, they can improve their business set up, that can be done in due course, because they still have the fundamentals. Northern Indians and Gujaratis don’t have the fundamentals of civilisation. So looking from a northern view, they are way ahead. They do not have murderous chai wallahs and Yogis. Even Sabarimala unpleasantness was raked up by RSS and northeren fanatics.
I greatly appreciate the way they handled the flood relief and Covid. That is noted internationally. They even looked after migrant workers.
Kerala model:
Kerala has a very high suicide rate.
Young people cannot get jobs, have to migrate to other states or the Gulf.
Communists have driven industry out of Kerala.
Social indicators and literacy definitely high. Not just literacy, Kerala educational institutions figure in best NIRF rankings.
However I dread to think what would have happened to Kerala without the Gulf. Overall it is a good model socially but a poor model economically. But their politics needs to change so that they counter depressive tendencies in the population and more Keralites can be employed within Kerala itself.
Gujarat model:
Modi ensured 10% growth rate in Gujarat during his reign. That is a stupendous growth rate just like China did for two decades continuously to become a superpower.
Social indicators poor for such an economically developed state.
But tax revenues contribution to Exchequer are not as high as other similar economically developed states like Maharashtra, Karnataka or Tamilnadu. Surprised to see Karnataka or TN paying higher tax revenues than Gujarat. Could it be because some large Gujarati corporates are registered in Mumbai ?
Overall Gujarat a great economic model but not good enough social model.
Taking overall balance of both social, educational and economic development, Delhi may be considered the best and Tamilnadu second.
Not true about Kerala at all
What kind of journalism you all are doing? Are you.sure you all are journalist or a terrorist spreading hate? Don’t know why always your topic is incomplete without beef, hindu muslim, commumal. Whoever wants anything to eat let them eat na. Why provoking another who dosent like that point. Senseless journalism, idiot editor
Not entirely true, maybe the author needs to travel a bit more before writing about Kerala
//The guy at the counter was a full-blown Malayali — which means he didn’t understand any Hindi and very little English,//
You mean as opposed to the fluent English speakers in all other states? And who said full-blown Malayalis don’t know Hindi? Hindi is compulsory i schools until 5 or 8. I don’t know that you’re trying to say here
This narrow minded lady should understand the difference between the buffalo meat and the cow meat. She has no right to blame kerala. If you don’t like the place, don’t visit. Who is asking you to visit a beef eating place?
Not sure what you wanted to convey by this article. It makes no sense. It’s just a piece of sh**
Yeah there is like zero content in this article. No purpose, all fluff.
Fact correction: St. Thomas visited Kerala in 52 AD
Fact correction: St. Thomas the apostle never visited India
what about if i file an FIR on you journalism…If i say today your mother is a slut & slept with me..
will you print it…the way you highlight someone’s statement
All hindu eat beef here in kerla..have you done any survey or he’s has done that…will you print it? if i say all muslims are terrorists..
no where mention all hindus eat beef in kerla ,read the lines carefully,apply your brain then post a comment by the way kiren Rijiju aslo proclaimed himself a hindu.
Majority Hindu’s eat beef in Kerala. Ezhava’s the largest hindu majority in Kerala needs beef on weekends it’s a must. Many Ezhavas only buy Halal Beef only. That’s a ritual.
In kerala you are free to eat beef, pork, chicken, mutton!!
Beef is a must have for any celebration in Kerala. Beef is an integral part of Kerala Tourism as well.
A notorious BJP politician was caught red-handed while he was eating beef. And he claimed that it was “onion curry” he was made a mockery of him by calling him “Ulli Sura” now even his family members are calling him by that name.
Here comes the purer Hindu. You have made your religion proud. I am not surprised by your reaction though, this is what happens when people eat cowdung instead of beef. For the record, almost all Hindus eat beef here and if you can’t accept that, it’s your problem.
In her article, she quoted the hotel owner who said “all Hindus eat beef in Kerala.” Those weren’t her words and they are allowed. Don’t pretend like you understand journalism and its legal bindings. Also, why don’t you go file your FIR in a Kerala police station, where their own canteens serve beef. Should be fun to watch.
@shiv shakti singh: In India, people, especially Hindus are brainwashed to believe that all religions are the same!! They are NOT!!
It’s ONLY the totalitarian, non dharmic religions which say “My god is the only god”!! They are actually communal entities because they help spread hate towards people outside their club!!
TRUTH is above all religions & ideologies!! Sanatan Hindu accepts even those who don’t believe in any Hindu god or want to negate any previous principles if there is new evidence!!
Truth, Freedom, liberty & scientific principles need to be paramount in human life as in Sanatan, NOT any gods or dogmatic books!!
Reality Check: You bray:
” .. Truth, Freedom, liberty & scientific principles need to be paramount in human life as in Sanatan, .. ”
Well have you seen the proceedings of the annual Indian Science Congress ? There you will find Indian “scientists” touting the presence of NaMo gravitational waves, ancient Indian aircraft capable of inter-planetary travel, the PM himself boasting that Lord Ganesha represented the triumph of plastic surgery and so on.
Check out Capt. Anand Bodas’ speech here about gomutra & cowdung propelled spacecraft !
Ref: bit.ly/3rJzz2C
Found a bully @arundhati
Shame on The Hindus who eats beef!
Why should not Hindus eat Beef?
Hindus in Kerala do not need certificates from BIMARUs on Hinduism…..
You eat what you like.. The time when world has evolved in such a way some people are going nuts. The so called hindus drink cow urine and still wear langott and never felt ashamed…. Elevate self standards and talk about others.
Shame on people who treats animals as gods
Strictures on eating beef is a Vedic thing.
Hindu is a term that applies to anyone who lives in this geography called India. Not all Hindus understand or follow Vedic ideas but with the political rise of BJP going forward non-Vedic Hindus will have to be cognizant that there will be prescriptions on what not to eat.
So much myth about St.Thomas that he arrived in Kerala before Christianity.Please go through Kalavai Venkat’s” What every Hindu should know about Christianity “He has thoroughly exposed the the Abrahamic religions & with solid proofs taken from the very facts available in Old & New Testaments.
@Suresh: Christianity, Islam & Communism are totalitarian ideologies much worse than dictatorships of Saddam Hussein/Gaddafi!!
They abhor freedom & liberty!! As such, while a Hindu Sanatani can believe or not believe in any Hindu god, a Christian is bound to follow Jesus & Muslim obliged to follow Allah!! Anyone who doesn’t believe in their respective “gods” is an “untouchable” for these fascists!!
It’s a great article. But I’d like to point out that Latin Catholics are Roman Catholics too. The Roman Catholic Church is further divided into a few groups in Kerala, of which Latin Catholics form one group. It puzzles me why Latin Catholics are always mentioned separately from other Roman Catholics considering how the Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic church, follows the Latin rite.
The bigger worry is not beef and pork. But the expectation that people across this country, will have to speak Hindi, atleast follow and find ways to respond. If the Mallu, ended up in Jharkhand – can he continue to speak his/her language. The Brits left, but some never changed. Babus ! This is polarisation too.
Says the guy typing in English
Hi…I love your article.
But I’d just like to point out that Latin Catholics are Roman Catholics too. Roman Catholicism in Kerala is further divided in Kerala into 3 or 4 groups. I’m puzzled at how Latin Catholics are always mentioned separately from other Roman Catholics (as the Vatican also practices rites in Latin).
Hi…I love your article. But I’d just like to point out that Latin Catholics are Roman Catholics too. Roman Catholicism in Kerala is further divided in Kerala into 3 or 4 groups. I’m puzzled at how Latin Catholics are always mentioned separately from other Roman Catholics (as the Vatican also practices rites in Latin).
I don’t think they are the same. How many roman catholics marry latin ones? Latin catholics are considered OBC, Roman ones think (w/o any specific proof, on belief basis only), that they’re converts from Nampoothiris and Nairs, the so-called upper castes.
Also show some honesty and dare to write an article title named “pork eating, boozing , Shia Muslim Jinnah- the divider”
Can’t stand the harmony people in Kerala enjoy?
Wonderful travelogue. Last visited Trivandrum and Kovalam in 1988. A lot of travel plans once the pandemic is safely over. After the floods cleared up, Kerala Tourism put up a heartwarming ad, saying, We are open for business, please do come. Tremendous work ethic of the people of the state, which sparkles more amidst alien corn.
One of the best state in India❤️?
Jyoti,
I like your articles but this is not journalism. First, separate fact from fiction!
Not all Hindus eat beef in Kerala nor do all Muslims eat pork.
Two, the story of St Thomas in Kerala is one of pious belief, not history. Give the evidence! What we have evidence for is that a Thomas, a merchant from Syria, did move to Kerala in the 4th century. Now that’s fact. It could also be a monophysite Syrian Orthodox influx to avoid persecution by the Greek church. But to say that Christianity came to Kerala before it went to Europe reveals your ignorance of European history. Remember Rome and Athens.
Journalism in India is imprecise, given to simplification and lacks appreciation of complexity.
I appreciate Arundhati Jai shree ram
Christianity did come to Kerala before Europe. She got it wrong only about St. John – it was St. Thomas.
When the Portuguese came to Kerala, they were puzzled. They found a people who had the Bible but had not heard of the Pope. These were the Syrian Orthodox Christians. They could not understand this, so they persecuted them to make them Catholics.
Among a few Syrian Orthodox Christians in Kerala, there are a few who speak Aramaic, the language that Christ spoke. The only other place where a few speak Aramaic is in Syria.
Kerala is an amazing and interesting place due to its combination of 3 communities, education and intelligence. The north can learn from them.
If there is no proof then how do you explain the population density of Christians in Kerala when compared to other states of India? It is clear that there was indeed a historical event much before the Portuguese that took place on Kerala that started this all… So it kind of confirms that St.Thomas did come to Kerala before it was spread in Europe
Does the Vatican accept St. Thomas’ visit to India?
Are there any historical evidences to suggest that it was St. Thomas the apostle who landed here in Kerala?
This lady is vomiting bull shit in this article