The efficacy of the
“Kerala Model” is the result of many decades of societal change.
With the spread of Covid-19, the fault lines in world
politics, economy and especially in the health care sector lies starkly
exposed. One narrow strip of land that stands out in this crisis is the
southern state of Kerala, extolled in travel brochures as ‘God’s Own
Country’. The world has taken notice and
is lavish in its praise of the state, its people and leadership. Whilst
many ‘developed countries’ are still struggling to contain the fear and
chaos unleashed by the Virus, this small state of about 3.5 crore ( less than 3
% of India’s population) has managed to restrict the number of Covid-19 cases
to about 400 and with deaths kept to 3
(as of April 15, 2020) since the virus first appeared in the state some time in
January 2020.
How did Kerala manage to contain the pandemic? While it may
be a matter of mystery to many, for a Keralite (Malayali) it is not. They
realize it is the result of steady consistent hard work spread over more than a
century. The Malayali considers this achievement only as a work in progress and
is fully aware that the state has miles to go.
Swami Vivekananda toured Kerala in the 1900s and called it a ‘Lunatic
Asylum’. It was the prevailing caste
system and social/economic structure
that made him make the comment. But to the credit of Malayalis, they took that
comment on their chin and worked diligently on many aspects of society and made
considerable progress. A good nine
decades later, in 1989 Kerala proclaimed itself as “God’s Own Country” as
part of its efforts to attract tourists. And in the age of Corona virus , the world
is acknowledging that the place is indeed “God’s own country”. A
transformation indeed!
This journey of nearly a century is an amalgamation of both
reformation and renaissance. It led to considerable societal transformation
which has helped Kerala face the virus head on and come out on top. Success has
many fathers and the truth is that many fathers can claim credit for this
successful child called Kerala. The enlightened erstwhile rulers of Travancore,
the missionaries and the communist have all played critical roles in making
this transformation. The remarkable
visionary legislations related to social reforms, education, land reforms and
health care have contributed in bringing
in change.
The model of
assimilation and equality
Adi Shankara, the celebrated saint who proposed the Advaita Vedanta
(non - duality) came from the land of Kerala around 800 AD(Exact time is still
being debated). From here the philosophy
travelled across the globe. Kerala coast
(also called the Malabar coast) had a long maritime history. The monsoon wind
pattern made the travel from West to East rather easy bringing in traders from the
Roman Empire to the Kerala coast for its spices. Kerala is believed to be the place where St.
Thomas, the doubting disciple of Jesus, landed in 52 AD. So, some form
Christianity was established in Kerala from the first millennia itself. When
the Jews faced persecution in their lands, they were welcomed and in fact
Cochin has the oldest Jewish synagogue in the Commonwealth countries. It was built in 1568 on a piece of land
donated by the rulers next to a Hindu temple. The Cheraman Juma Mosque in
Kerala is the oldest mosque in India is said to have been built in 629 AD. Thus,
it’s clear that local people and rulers welcomed outsiders which brought
prosperity and more importantly, new ideas and thoughts.
Social reformers like Sree Narayana Guru, led the social
transformation of Kerala. Although the Advaita philosophy was in currency for a
longtime, a practical manifestation of it had to wait till 1900s when Narayana Guru installed a mirror in a temple,
in place of the deity. The idea was to see oneself – in line with the Upanishad
saying – Tat Tvam Asi (You are that) and Aham Brahmasmi (I am divine). His fundamental
teaching– “One Caste, One Religion, and One God” was a path breaking approach
to change the society to a more egalitarian one.
These teachings and exposure to people from foreign lands enriched
the society. The openness to diverse religions and cultures developed the culture of
Kerala without the erosion of its basic foundations. As Mahatma Gandhi said “I do not want my house
to be walled or my windows closed, I want the culture of all lands to be blown
about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet”. One
can see the actualization of that dream in Kerala. All these contributed to the 1936 legislation
by the Travancore kings which declared the free entry of Dalits into temples which could
possibly be the first such legislation
made by local rulers in India. Thus, social transformation has been a long journey
and the destination where we have reached was literally built on wisdom and
determination.
Education and reforms
led the way
The missionaries brought with them pen and paper too. The printing
press got established in Kerala in 1821, much ahead of many other parts of the
country at Kottayam. No wonder Kottayam went on to become the first place in
India to be fully literate in the year 1989. When Sanskrit was the language of the
privileged and education was restricted to select few, Fr. Kuriakose Chavara
established a Sanskrit school for the locals and admitted girls and even children
from the so called ‘untouchable’ members of the society, challenging the
prevailing social norms. In 1864, Bishop
Bernadine Baccinelly issued a circular which was unprecedented and
transformative that mandated that each parish or church should establish
educational institutions. This led to new schools (Pallikudams) coming up next
to every church in almost all villages which made education easily available to every child
in the vicinity.
Midday meal is such an important policy tool in the hands of
governments today to drive primary education. It is said that Fr. Chavara started midday
meals in the schools way back in 1850s to get more children enrolled. Maharani Gauri Parvati Bayi sanctioned the
establishment of a full-fledged college at Kottayam and supported it with land
and handsome donation which became functional in 1815. Maharaja Swathi Tirunal Rama Varma opened the
first public free school at Trivandrum in 1834.
With such a long history of royal support and dedication, it was little wonder
that in 1991, Kerala was declared 100 % literate, the first state to achieve
the feat in India. Many other
personalities also played significant roles over the years in the field of
education. Even with such efforts and focus it
took Kerala over a century to be fully literate.
Even after the independence of India, feudal agrarian system
continued in many parts of India and Kerala was not an exception. The first
general election after the state formation in 1957 threw up a communist led government.
The social reforms, widespread education and higher literacy levels all played
a part in spreading communist ideology in the society. It is believed that the
EMS Namboothiripad led government of 1957 was the first democratically elected
communist government anywhere in the world. That government sowed the initial
seeds of land reforms. These efforts finally culminated in the historic land
reforms act of 1969 under another communist led government. The slogan ‘land
for the tillers’ was a shock treatment for the society. But with the benefit of
hindsight, it can be said that it was justified and has paid rich dividends for
the overall development of the state.
The state swallowed that bitter pill and is healthy today! However, the state is
not able to feed all its people and that is a matter to be addressed on
priority.
Health is wealth
In the age of Corona, the focus is squarely on the health
sector. In 1865, a vaccination department was established in Kerala under the
leadership of Diwan Raja T Madhav Rao. A
full-fledged general hospital with inpatients became functional in 1886. Ten years later an exclusive hospital for women
and children was established. Now we are familiar with Swachh Bharat mission
and efforts to achieve ODF. A sanitary
department was established by the rulers in Kerala in the year 1895.
Collaborative effort between the rulers and missionaries led
to the arrival of eight qualified nurses from Switzerland to Kerala in 1906 who
were assigned to hospitals in Trivandrum, Quilon etc. This helped the local population to get
exposure to modern medical practices. Nurses from Kerala are recognized for
their work across the world. The first nursing collages were established in the
year 1920 at Quilon and Kottiyam. These saplings which were planted about 100
years back are bearing fruits for the state, country and the whole world. There are over 100 medical colleges spread
across Kerala. While the WHO norm is to
have a doctor for 1000 people, Kerala is ahead with one doctor for about 520
people. The state boasts about one of the lowest child mortality rates
comparable with any developed world. The life expectancy is the highest in the
country at 75 years. Thus, the medical infrastructure and capacity has been
built over a long period of time with focus and dedication.
Emulate but moderate
expectations
These days the ‘Kerala Model’ is touted as the way to address
and manage the health crisis. It is an easy proposition to make. But not many
are aware of the amount of work, consistent planning and societal
transformation which has gone into making the sweet sounding two words –
“Kerala Model”. Others are welcome to implement the model, but
expectations should be nuanced and moderate. Culture, habit and capacity building
are long term work and in the age of instant gratification not many are willing
to do that heavy lifting.
Kerala stands out for all these factors. Is it a perfect
state? No way, in fact far from it. But Kerala is miles ahead and has miles to
go before it can put its leg up and take a break. It’s very much a work in
progress and we don’t wish to break this chain! But when the going gets tough,
the tough gets going. Kerala is putting in the tough miles, but no one should
ever imagine that Kerala, God’s Own Country, was built in a day.
Tony Augustine
(An edited version of this artcle apperaed first in the editorial page of Deccan Herald News paper on April 24, 2020)
