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For decades, Kerala has dazzled the world with postcard imagery—lush hills, serene backwaters, and high literacy rates. Cleverly marketed as “God’s Own Country,” it is often romanticized as a development model. But beneath the coconut palms lies a broken economy, militant unionism, collapsing infrastructure, and a governance culture built on slogans, not substance.
Here are eleven hard truths that dismantle the myth.
Industry Fled the Red State
Kerala once hosted Tata Oil Mills, Gwalior Rayons (Birla), Premier Tyres, Toshiba Anand, and HMT. All exited, driven away by militant trade unions and bureaucratic hostility. Over 110 major industries have shut down or left since the 1960s. Kerala ranks below 20th in the DPIIT’s 2023 Ease of Doing Business index—far behind its southern peers.
Hartals as a Way of Life
Kerala leads India in hartals and bandhs. From 2015 to 2024, the state endured over 1,200 shutdowns, or one every three days. Labour productivity is among the lowest in India, and disruption is normalized.
Booze, Bets, and a Bankrupt Treasury
Rather than building an economy, Kerala runs on liquor and lotteries. In 2023–24:
- Liquor excise: ₹16,609 crore
- Lottery revenue: ₹9,270 crore
- These form 30%+ of the state’s own revenue
Salaries are delayed, pensions deferred. Temple funds are routinely diverted to plug deficits.
‘Noku Kooli’: Watching, Not Working
Kerala’s infamous Noku Kooli—wages for watching others work—is extortion in broad daylight. Even if you unload your own goods, you must pay registered headload workers. Annual losses: ₹150–200 crore. This institutionalized indolence deters investors and corrodes work ethic.
Tax Burdens Without Returns
Kerala levies some of India’s highest taxes:
- Road tax: Up to 20%
- Property registration: 8–10%
- Fuel levies: Among the steepest
Yet basic infrastructure and services remain subpar.
Low Contributor to India’s Economy
Despite high literacy, Kerala contributes just 4% to national GDP. It attracts negligible FDI and ranks poorly in industrial output. In contrast, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh have surged ahead through manufacturing and tech-driven growth.
Education, But Not Here
Nearly 70% of students leave Kerala for higher education. Engineering colleges report 40% vacancy/dropout rates. No major private university has set up base, deterred by land laws, political interference, and trade unionism.
No Jobs, No Drive
Over 35 lakh Keralites work abroad, mainly in the Gulf. Meanwhile, migrants from Bihar, Assam, and Bengal fill labour gaps at home. Kerala’s youth are better educated—but largely unwilling to work in agriculture, factories, or trades. The local work ethic is in retreat.
Even more alarming, thousands of young men and women are so desperate to leave the state that they’re willing to migrate to conflict zones in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Exploitative agents thrive by promising risky jobs in war-torn economies. This is not economic ambition—it’s escape.
Unsafe, Lawless, and Politicized
Despite its progressive image, Kerala ranks third in crimes against women per capita (NCRB 2023). Political murders, street violence, and party-sponsored intimidation are rampant. In Kannur and parts of Kozhikode, ideology often trumps the rule of law.
Appeasement Politics and Deep Corruption
From RTOs to municipalities, corruption is institutionalized. The 2020 gold smuggling scandal implicated even the Chief Minister’s Office. Vote-bank politics dominates welfare distribution, undermining equity and civic trust. The system rewards loyalty, not merit.
No Innovation, No Invention, No Future Vision
Kerala prides itself on literacy, yet it remains absent in the domains of innovation, technology, and invention. There are no notable startups, no original intellectual property, no patents, and no breakthroughs in science, medicine, or engineering. The state has produced no Nobel laureates, no original brands of global repute, and no centers of excellence in research or development.
While the rest of India builds tech hubs, unicorns, AI labs, and green energy parks, Kerala has no equivalent vision or platform. The educated youth are leaving not just for jobs, but for intellectual fulfillment elsewhere. The state has become a consumer society, not a creator of ideas.
The Slogan No Longer Fits
Kerala’s image is shaped by remittances, tourism, and nostalgia. But beyond the marketing lies a state addicted to consumption, not production. Governance is ideological, not pragmatic. Hard work is penalized, and enterprise discouraged.
What Kerala needs is not slogans, but a complete mindset overhaul—towards merit, enterprise, governance, and accountability.
Until then, it remains:
God’s abandoned country. Not His own.
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