The Story of Survival

“കനൽ ഒരു തരി മതി”

“One fragment of ember is enough to spread the fire"

I am writing this out of an unknown drive and a sort of pride seeing the world media praise this small state, Kerala in India for its efficiency in combating the deadly pandemic, Covid -19, mitigating the hardships caused by it and thereby making the ‘Kerala model’ worthy of emulation across the globe.

It is indeed awe-inspiring when a small state with a population of just 3.5 crore set a standard for the rest of the world of nearly 7.8 Billion! Thanks to our doctors and nurses who are being lauded for their extraordinary dedication and support during this crisis. Also, our ‘all time superheroes’ - the police force, who always takes the frontline no matter if it is a flood or a virus, is another gem of this ‘God’s own Country’. Volunteers and all those good human beings who spread love are another set of assets for this small state.

Kerala’s way of ‘battling it out’ didn't happen overnight. Though it is a top Indian state with a strong communist influence, the UDF government and its leaders have also played a major role in equipping the state across all parameters over decades to overcome extremities. Kerala is an Indian state with the highest literacy rate, low infant mortality and longevity; the first digital state in India; a state with the highest per-capita income in India with emigrants sending in an estimate of Rs 1 Trillion every year; one of the first states to claim as “Open defecation free” state; a state with low poverty ratio and high health parameters; the state with a lot of women entrepreneurs, writiers, artists, activists etc and what not! This state has never stopped to inspire me.

Keeping all that aside, Kerala was the state to have the first positive Covid case in India. The state was topping the list with the highest number of cases in India on March 29th but on April 10th, the stats showed the state's success saga in combating the virus by bringing it to the 10th position with lesser number of positive cases. With the lowest fatality rate, kerala has the highest recovery rate in the world, i.e; 22 percent. The irony is how the biggest assets like missiles and nuclear bombs end up being useless before a nation when a virus can indeed sweep off the entire mankind!

Covid isn't the first battle that the present communist government of Kerala has won during it's tenure. The survival stories of the Nipah outbreak and the foods will never fade off from the history of Kerala. And now Covid is just another winning chapter for which the whole world is still figuring out ways to survive. Evaluating the past four years of the present communist government under the leadership of our CM, Pinarayi Vijayan, the way the government have implemented changes and overcome disasters are just mind blowing! When my urge to dig deep into the saga of this perfection ended up in researching, I wasn't dissapointed. Kerala's history is painted with revolution and revolt. Decades ago, when the peasants of the State staged a play against a feudal landlord with their fists high, hailing the slogan “You made me a communist”, I think they could foresee what this state needed in the long run.

Communism in Kerala is not the communism that the Chinese and the Eastern Americans follow. Analysis, adoption and correction of the existing principles makes this state progressive with its leftist ideology. A few of its progressive movements started off with the appointment of the first Dalit priest to perform the rituals in a temple. The government had unanimously struck down Section 377 as unconstitutional respecting the personal choices of individuals, recruited transgenders at the kochi metro making it the first government project ever to include them and this is also the first state to pass a resolution against CAA. When communism and God doesn't coexist in many places, the Kerala government was known to support the entry of women into Sabarimala against all odds leaving the final verdict to the Supreme court. Just like how laws are amended over time, theories and ideologies are being relooked by the lefts in this State. ‘Comrade’ being a common term in Kerala to address your buddy, this state has reimagined a better life for people through its religious progressiveness, science, communist governance and more, which makes it unique in the way the other communist states operate.

The state started its communist journey with its first CM, E.M.S Namboodiripad winning the elections followed by many eminent leaders till date. A lot of fervour and the democartic spirit had flowed with the governance of its leaders irrespective of the party for which they stood for. But in general, the leftist influence in the state has turned it out to be a hotspot for the democartic ideology of communist governance. The attention to detail with which the government addresses and resolves the issues of the people makes it the real ‘people’s government’.

During this pandemic, Kerala is flattening this curve through rapid measures and a 360 degree governance and planning. Right from conducting rapid tests, efficient self isolation and quarantine measures, contact tracing, follow up and even filing cases against the ones who fail to follow the lockdown, it leaves no loopholes for the virus to spread more. The day-night surveillance by the officials by also ensuring that the necessities reach the needy on time are the highlights of this ‘kerala model’. Community kitchens that serve food for all the needy, introducing drones to make sure no one gathers, building thousands of shelters for the migrant workers who are stuck, ensuring that medicines and even the mid day meal of kids are delivered to their homes even during this lockdown, releasing special funds to all the daily wage workers, ensuring special subsidy for all, conducting daily press meets to give updates and to address the public and more is what makes it a place where a communist can still dream!

Though I don't identify myself as a party activist, this party and its way of governance has never dissapointed me which might be the sole reason for writing this. You may have disagreements with what I have written above and that's totally fine as humans are known to differ in opinions. I do respect yours and I expect the same!