The sad story of Kerala intellectuals and writers

Kerala is among the most literate regions in the whole world. More than anything else, the high literacy means the mallu society keeps itself highly informed about the happenings all over the world. Consequently, we have a society where most of the individuals do have an opinion on almost all subjects under the sun.

 Naturally, the teachers, writers and the intellectuals in this society have always been held in high respect and their opinions have always been well sought after. Sadly, over the last decade, a large majority of mallu writers and intellectuals seems to have come under tremendous pressure from the need to survive, and the much larger necessity to keep on the right side of the powers that be. So much so, that the only loud noises that we occasionally hear from one half of these self-proclaimed protectors of public conscience are mostly about the petty, ego-centric and self induced fights among themselves. The other half is busy in aligning in accordance with the factional feuds of the ruling Marxist party.  There are some rare but sane and earnest voices among them, but these are often buried in the frenzy and noise of the battle cry....

 Contrast this with times when these voices were strong and influential enough to deny the state many necessary projects like the atomic power plant and silent valley project. It is another matter, whether I am in favour of the opposition to such projects. The point that I am trying to make is that there has been a paradigm shift in the intellectual creamy layer of this highly opinionated society.

 The common man is reeling under all sorts of problems, the root cause of which could be traced to the in-efficient and corrupt regimes that have ruled this state in the last two decades. The writers, intellectuals and the creative minds once had the courage and the will power to awaken the mallu society and pave way for the world’s first democratically elected communist regime. Now, all that is left is a bunch of selfish minds feuding among themselves...

 What a shame indeed....