Blog | Simple living, high thinking explains Kerala ‘s extraordinariness

Kerala, ‘God’s Own Country’ is a fascinating place. Not only do its lush green environs, beautiful beaches and other allied natural forms of beauty inspire but so do its people and culture. Much is known about Kerala’s physical and natural beauty but not so much about its people and culture. While I am neither a sociologist nor an anthropologist, and thereby cannot develop a theory of the region’s culture but I do have some striking observations to make about it.

Let me begin with facts.

By the parameters of the Human Development Index (HDI), Kerala is the leading state in India. For those who are unfamiliar with HDI, devised by the UNDP. It is a distilled measure, and according to the same organisation, it is,‘ A summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development : a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and having a decent standard of living. The HDI is the geometric mean of normalized indices for each of the three dimensions'. On the face of it, this metric, measure or parameter should capture the nature of life and living in Kerala but what does it mean in practice?

Dis-aggregated, Kerala’s high HDI score (which does not correlate with per capita income-something that is, by a comparative yardstick low for the region) can be attributed to the nature of the state, governance and politics of the region- both in historic, comparative terms. But while not underplaying and demeaning these important variables, there’s more to Kerala than these. And that is its people and the philosophical grid that they are informed and inspired by. Before according the proverbial flesh to this assertion, let me delineate and describe the tenor of daily life in Kerala.  It would then be easy to infer the philosophy that guides Keralites in their lives.

I will begin by making a general observation: a place is as good as its people and the vibes they exude. In this schema, the people of Kerala send out a positive vibe. It is neither overdone nor underdone; it is what it is-a very natural vibe that meshes with the tenor of life here- relaxed, non-aggressive and even happy or content. You can see some people walking barefoot with the lungis peculiar to this region just hanging over their groin areas. While you won't go unnoticed in Kerala as an outsider, but you will neither be glared at, nor stared at. Touts will not harass you nor will so-called guides or storefront people. In this sense, as an outsider, you just blend in. If you get lost in some area, and then ask for directions, a store owner will leave his premises and actually walk with you to ensure you will find your way. 

Invariably, people acknowledge you in a polite, non-aggressive way and smile at you (These are not fake smiles.). There are hardly any beggars in Kerala. The very few visible ones are often times from other states. The nature and flow of traffic is smooth. I did see or observe any instance of road rage, not even blaring honking of horns. Women are ubiquitous in public life- from hotel receptionists, to clerks in government departments, to kiosk owners to managers and, yes, in public protests that are as polite and civil as can be.

Walk into a store and you will not be accosted by either a sulking, brooding salesperson or an aggressive one. The salesperson will be there for you in an unobtrusive, non-aggressive manner ready to help when you ask for it but will leave you alone if you don’t want it. In general, the people of Kerala are unassuming precisely like their dwellings (mostly observed in and around the town and city of Trivandrum). You will not see garish multi-storeyed buildings that are a throwback to conspicuous consumption nor will you see flashy huge cars. The houses are usually modest- mostly two-storey ones and motor cars are typically the ones owned and used by the middle classes. 

Overall there is a relaxed tone to life here in Kerala. Peak hours - morning and evening- are rush hours like everywhere else but there is no rashness, or madness to these hours. There is flow and there is discipline. Yes, generally, zebra crossings are not respected but this is the glaring exception to an otherwise outstandingly and extraordinarily decent place.

These are everyday snippets of life in Kerala. But these are unusual for cities anywhere. What, the question is, explains the extra-ordinariness of Kerala? Yes, governance, the state’s HDI and so on all are relevant factors and variables. I will hark back to my hypothesis and assertion to put this into perspective: A place, any place is as good as its people and the energy they exude. This energy is a reflection of what is within, the shining light at the heart of people’s consciousness (and to the contrary the dark matter within if there is negative energy). It is this shining light within Keralites that makes Kerala extraordinarily special. But this shining light cannot be accrued on its own. There has to be a guiding philosophical beacon for this to emanate. I believe- strongly and firmly- that this beacon, the philosophy from which emanates this radiant and positive energy is the matra that appears to inspire every Keralite: Simple living and High thinking.

I am about to leave Kerala but I can already sense and feel that I have absorbed the positivity of the place. I feel lighter and relaxed. I will visit again with a prayer and a hope: May you Kerala always remain like this!

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)