Saturday, 9 June 2012

Kerala to Go Global






Kerala , the southern state in India , is a welfare state and the  biggest tourist destination in Asia. The eco- tourism and  Ayurveda rejuvenation are the attractive and unique packages offered to global trotters. An admix of tropical evergreen forests overlooking  plantations of  tea, coffee, cardamom and protected national parks of tiger and elephant , mid land cropped with coconut, rubber, paddy and tropical spices and finally with in 60 km from forests the golden sand beaches and back waters facing the Arabian sea. These landscapes  make the entire state like "God's own Country". The people are highly literate and computer literate  and speak well in English. The tourist can move freely anywhere in the villages or cities like free birds. This is because of Kerala's diplomacy dating back to prehistorical times. In the ancient time Kerala was very global, having spices trade with many countries in the world including Canton (China), Arabia, Persia(Iran), Constantinople and Rome and the cosmopolitan culture is continued even in remote villages.  Early Christian, Jew, Islam and Budha believes and teachings freely rooted in this soil.

Керала, южный штат в Индии, является богатое государство и крупнейшим туристическим местом в Азии. Эко-туризм и Аюрведа омоложение является крупнейшим пакетами, предлагаемыми к глобальным туристам. В горах тропические вечнозеленые леса с видом плантации чая, кофе, кардамон и охраняемые национальные парки тигра и слона, в середине земли обрезается с кокосовым, резины, риса и тропических специй и, наконец, с в 60 км от лесов золотые песчаные пляжи и реки, прежде чем Аравийское море делает все государство как "собственная страна Бога". Люди очень грамотный и компьютерной грамотностью и турист может свободно перемещаться в любом месте в селах или городах, как свободных птиц. Это потому, что в древности это было очень глобальная, имея специи торговлю со многими странами мира, включая Кантон (Китай), Аравии, Персии (Иран), Константинополем и Римом. Ранняя христианская, еврей, мусульманин, Budha религии свободно укорененные в этой почве.


Kerala, dem südlichen Staat in Indien, ist ein reicher Staat und der größte touristische Ort in Asien. Der Öko-Tourismus und Ayurveda Verjüngung ist die größte globale Traber Pakete angeboten. Am Berge tropischen immergrünen Wäldern mit Blick auf Plantagen von Tee, Kaffee, Kardamom und geschützten Nationalparks von Tiger und Elefant, Mitte Land abgeschnitten mit Kokos-, Gummi-, Paddy und tropische Gewürze und schließlich mit in 60 km von Wäldern die goldenen Sandstrände und Flüsse, bevor der arabische Meer macht den gesamten Staat wie "Gottes eigenes Land". Die Leute sind hoch gebildete und Computerkenntnisse und Touristen können frei überall in den Dörfern oder Städten wie Vögel frei zu bewegen. Das ist, weil in der alten Zeit war es sehr global, mit Gewürzen Handel mit vielen Ländern der Welt, darunter Kanton (China), Arabien, Persien (Iran), Konstantinopel und Rom. Die frühen Christen, Juden, Muslime, Budha Religionen in diesem Boden frei verwurzelt.

Kerala, l'État sud de l'Inde, est un état riche et le plus grand lieu touristique en Asie. L'éco-tourisme et de l'Ayurveda rajeunissement est le plus grand forfaits offerts aux trotteurs mondiaux. Au montagnes forêts de conifères tropicaux donnant sur les plantations de thé, de café, de cardamome et de parcs nationaux du tigre et l'éléphant, mi terres protégées rognées de noix de coco, caoutchouc, riz et épices tropicales et enfin avec dans 60 km de forêts des plages et des rivières de sable doré avant la mer d'Arabie fait tout l'État comme «propre pays de Dieu". Les gens sont très instruite et des connaissances en informatique et touristique peuvent se déplacer librement partout dans les villages ou les villes comme des oiseaux libres. C'est parce que dans les temps anciens, il était très global, ayant le commerce des épices avec de nombreux pays dans le monde, y compris Canton (Chine), l'Arabie, la Perse (Iran), Constantinople et Rome. Le premier chrétien, Juif, musulman, les religions Budha librement enracinés dans cette terre.

Kerala, sul do estado na Índia, é um estado rico eo maior lugar turístico na Ásia. O eco-turismo e Ayurveda rejuvenescimento é o maior pacotes oferecidos para trotters globais. No montanhas florestas verdes tropicais com vista para plantações de chá, café, cardamomo e parques nacionais protegidos de tigre e elefante, meio, mas cultivadas com coco, borracha, arroz e temperos tropicais e, finalmente, com a 60 km de florestas as praias de areia dourada e rios antes da mar da Arábia faz todo o estado como o "País do próprio Deus". As pessoas são altamente alfabetizada e letrada computador e turista pode mover-se livremente em qualquer lugar nas aldeias ou cidades, como pássaros livres. Isso ocorre porque no tempo antigo era muito global, tendo especiarias comercial com muitos países do mundo, incluindo Cantão (China), Arábia, Pérsia (Irã), Constantinopla e Roma. Os primeiros cristãos, judeus, muçulmanos, religiões Budha livremente enraizadas neste solo.

Since the independence of India, Kerala followed a dynamic economic model , getting done the land reforms, making education and health services free to all  , implementing green and white revolution in agriculture and animal husbandry  and heading for electronic and tourism industry. There were many draw backs in the model, but the quality of life in the state improved significantly. Now the focus  is on sustainable development and  make all the people to participate in the economic and development process (democracy at grass root level) .

Green technology, renewable energy, solid waste management, safe food and drugs, improvement in  health services and value based education and above all organic farming and eco-friendly industry are the key slogans. Since Kerala is an ecologically fragile terrain with lot of mountains, rain forests, rivers, wet lands and lengthy sea shores, where some of the wet lands are identified as Ramsar sites, environmental protection in Kerala is having global importance.

The Communist parties  or centrist party Indian National Congress molded the political out  look of the people and both of them ,when being in power during alternative terms,  followed the Kerala economic model. The strong environmentalists , social activists, NGOs and intellectual class including scientists and  artists were always in the forefront to raise the development, social and cultural issues. Sometimes it was not the political parties , but the social activists who took up the people's issues. The feminists and feminist writers had a big role to play to solve the problems related with abuse and atrocities against  women, children and old people. 

The religions Hindu,Islam and Christianity  and many spiritual leaders were also active in the social life. All the religions, political parties and NGOs co-exist peacefully and no communal, racial/cast or political violence is reported in the state unlike in other states in India. The crime rate is at zero level except few odd instances here and there. There is a special wing of police ,known as "Tourist Police" , who takes care of all the tourists flowing to the state.  


The print and visual media is very strong like in the west and the highest safe guard  system of democracy. The judiciary  and many regulatory bodies defends the rights of the people. Still they fail due to inborn corruption in bureaucracy and political parties.


There are many number of educational institutions and research organisations, which have to go few steps ahead for achieving the global standards.  

Reading all these, the readers other than from this land  may think that Kerala is not having much economical or ecological issues.

But there are big problems in Kerala, especially after the millennium year.

All Keralites know the the major reasons for all these grave issues:

1. Obsolete ideology
2. The gerontocracy (gerontocracy is a form of oligarchical rule in which an entity is ruled by leaders who are significantly older than most of the adult population)
3. The failure of Government Departments-slow development of e governance in spite of wide internet usage
4. The idling of Financial Capital
5. The growing of Real Estate Mafia

The Keralites have big plans to make the state global and on par with a western developed country. But all the plans are still in the paper or in talks. The majority of people in establishments( Government, Political Parties, Mass Media) , the economists , the intellectuals and the development workers have a mind set of Conservatism. The majority is not ready to accept the change that is sweeping the world.

So a second Green and While revolution with the same old temp is expected ......
The wind of change is expected. The political parties, both the left & right,  are to  hear the murmuring of the autumn leaves.
(Greenish Technopark in Kerala built in 1990s-a new face of Industry)

The bureaucracy inflicted with corruption and visual & print media ( TV/Print media/Social Networks) very actively engaged in  paparazzi journalism must be corrected by a great spiritual or  philosophical Guru like Bhagvan Sree Krishna/Jesus Christ /Prophet Mohamed/ Karl-Marx-Engels. Cause Keralites (Indians) can be motivated only by such great prophets/Philosophers. Great Gandhiji is totally forgotten by all Indians.

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SOJOURN THROUGH GOD'S OWN COUNTRY


I don't want to make this blog of introducing Kerala as a literary gimmicks. Rather I go down with my emotions, with my heart. The visuals will narrate about my village-like-state more than the words. But words are also necessary since history is present everywhere in this part of the world, a Dravidian civilization with roots in Africa, Australia and South America. 

Thrissur 


First, let me tell you about my home town Thrissur. You can reach this place just by landing at Kochi (Cochin) International Airport. Thrissur is a pagan myth to me. Just like a Mayan city in America or a Turkic tribal ,non nomadic settlement in Central Asia(Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan etc). 


We are blessed with lot of temple festivals. A traveler will be enticed by the dances of representatives of pagan gods (vellichappadu), the game of tigers known as Pullikkaly, the ancient drama "Koodiyattam", story-telling classical dance "Kathakally" , classical female dance "Mohiniyattam" and  folk performing arts " Mudiyettu, Theeyattam, Kaalakaly, Kuthirakaly, Kummattykaly, Pambumkalam, Navorpattu etc" . The  classical percussion symphony "Panchary Melam, Panchavaadyam" etc etc. are played on very rare type instruments, where ancient wind pipe  instrument similar to Armenian "Dudu"  is also used.  There are few international schools in my district, where these art forms  are taught at nominal charges ("Kalamandalam at Cheruthuruthy, Unnayiwarrior Nilayam at Irinjalakkuda etc)

The ancient  Great PEPPER TRAIL and high diplomacy with ancient  Jews, Moore, Armenians, Phoneticians, Arabs and Chinese traders could be traced back to my home town, especially the old port town  MUZIRIS , WHERE ST.THOMAS LANDED IN 2 AD. This Muziris is now called as Kodungallur/Crangannur and is a big heritage village. It is connected with back water/river from Cochin,  and Paravoor.


(Courtesy Jaseem Hamsa, Chavakkad, India)

In our district the oldest Synagogue in South India  is in Mala, an ancient city near my home town. Those Jewish settlements in Mala , Kottappuram, Fort Cochin (near Wellington Island), and Paravoor are clear evidence of Pepper trade between the east and west.

The Synagogues in Mala and Kottappuram in our district (little away from Cochin)  is an interesting place to visit. The oldest Torah scrolls are kept here and the Teiba , Heichal etc are conserved by our Local Governments and cultural department. All the Jews who were living here  left to Israel. Once Kerala accepted all of  them, who fled from Europe and West Asia. Our progressive Kings gave them land for settlements. In places like Fort Kochi now a days few Muslim youngsters  conserve the Jew Synagogues. Indeed very striking News!!!

The ancient pepper trade since 2 AD was with out wars, with out invasions, with out imperialistic expansions for resources, man power and manufactured goods.

But things got changed in 16th-17th century.

The Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias learned about the Mansoon trade winds , which could help the vessels to reach the Malabar coasts, Spices Island and Canton. He sailed up to the southern tip of Africa and found the new sea route for pepper trade. Then his follower Vasco de Gama was successful in  breaking the secrets about the Pepper Route, opened the door to Europeans the big ports and warehouses  in East for direct procurement of black gold "Pepper" with out the Arab traders ....Then started the era of Invasions of western Imperialism to India, a big country which could resist even the big flux of soldiers of Alexander the Great.




Synagogue in Kottappuram, Crangannur/Kodungallur(the place where St.Thomas landed first in Indian port Muzris)







The voyage to East to find spices









Our friends and many registered tour operators offer home stays and conducted tours in all these places and ayurvedic resorts  with accompanying guides. For ayurveda treatment you should select only traditional institutions  and simply get into an ayurveda spa attached to highly commercial resorts/hotels. Ayur_veda is a veda(knowledge/wisdom) to provide you total health. There are very specialised Medical Health institutions also, where you can do organ transplant(heart) if a donar organis available at that time.   The department Tourism, Government of Kerala, Trip adviser etc provide truthful information about destinations and establishments. There is Tourism Police special service in Cochin/Kochi, Thiruvantapuram/?Trivandrum(Kovalm golden sand beaches)   I take my Russian friends. We all people in Kerala want to show that by pepper trade and other spices we became global citizens since 2 AD. 

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Wayanadu



Our heritage of Dravida,which has connections with  African, Australian, Turkic and Mayan  civilizations, can be seen in  the district Waynadu, especially  in the Edakal caves and surroundings.



 The engravings in edakal caves

Our Dravidian heritage-the Wayanadu tribals.
Mayan masks
Mayan riyuals

Kerala (Kannur) Theyyam
Similarity of  Dravidian people and aboriginal Australians- influx of Indian genes to Australia 4000 years ago


Aboriginal Australian

Kerala Tribe






Migration of people and genes from Africa through India to Pacific
Signing out 
Pradeep Koonath ,Associate Professor, Kerala Agricultural University , PO KAU, Thrissur, Kerala,India-680 010

In search of PEPPER ROUTE

pradeepkp04@gmail.com/ pradeep.kp@kau.in
Those interested in history, population genetics, anthropology......please interact with me

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