The Kerala story: How politics, migration and social reform reshaped ‘God’s Own Country’

Nestled deep in the Western Ghats are the Great Indian Hornbills, the state bird of Kerala. They prefer to reside on the tallest trees. During the nesting season, male hornbills feed the females, who confine themselves to crevices inside branches and trunks for months to protect their eggs and chicks.

Kerala's politics, which has evolved in diverse ways over the past 69 years, reflects the hornbill’s way of life: sharp focus on equality, empathy and adventure. Beginning with a radical political experiment of electing India’s first communist govt to bringing land as well as social reforms, introducing landmark education and health initiatives, Kerala has become a role model for other states.

Today, Kerala’s health indices, including infant mortality rate and average lifespan are on a par with those of developed nations. The state was a pioneer in enduring political coalitions with the formation of sub-regional parties whose aspirations found representation in the state assembly.

Electing one of two major political constituents by turns to govern every five years, but giving all manner of dissent adequate space underline the salutary traditions of civil democratic discourse in the state.

Interestingly, the advent of duopolistic political coalition coincided with large-scale migration of Keralites to the Gulf. Not long thereafter, the state transformed into a remittance-based economy.

The consequent gap in local resources and capacity began getting bridged by inward migration of labour from other states. The upshot is a seemingly inexorable transformation of demography and boom in economic activity in the state.

TOI walks you through the 69 years’ long timeline of Kerala, dotted with political milestones and epochal social signatures that have transformed and defined God’s Own Country.