This Dispatch is was first published on 8 February 2011

In Kerala (India) many things are labelled MG, such as the MG Road in Ernakulam.  It took us a while to realise that MG is Mahatma Gandhi.  Hopefully the times will change, and the day will come for Warlpiri to once again be proud and free to be themselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjc6bH9OTm4

Assimilationists and Interventionists take note: “…and don’t criticise what you don’t understand…”

The beggars we encountered in Kerala can be counted on the fingers of my hands.  The population density is nothing like that portrayed for other parts of India, most families we saw had one or two (beautifully dressed) children.  No sight of very young mothers.  Very few tourists away from Fort Kochi.  Very little “hang-over” from the British Raj (we met only one overt “Anglophile”).  No “cultural cringe”. Several times we were told with modest pride that Kerala is “fully literate”.  Whether this “literacy” is in “our” alphabet or the ornate syllabic Malayalam script or both wasn’t specified, I suspect the latter, as all we asked for help wrote down directions in our alphabet yet most signs use their script.  The English sign “Do not Pass on Bridge” is routinely ignored, yet the “Sound Horn” signs on the back of trucks and busses are enthusiastically and frequently obeyed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB8buBmAfzU

On the few occasions we met Indians whose mother tongue was not Malayalam, they agreed with my proposition that Malayalam is probably the fastest spoken of the many Indian languages.

Malayalam is a language of Shibboleths, it is virtually unpronounceable to non-Indians.  It is in no danger of disappearing.  In a Hindi Times (English Language) newspaper article we noted that Malayalam is about to be made compulsory in Kerala schools (of which there are many).  Our miniscule amateur attempts at saying something in Malayalam, invariably elicited a big smile and enthusiastic response, and often a friendly correction of our pronunciation

Our most used phrase was “Valareh nanai junta” which we used to say “the food is delicious”, because it was.

Kerala is about to have elections.  Everywhere there were posters of smiling slick looking candidates and vehicles with loudspeakers cruised around shouting “vote for me” messages.  The messages sounded as sincere as those we get at our election times.  Kerala was the first place in the world to have a democratically elected Communist Government.  The CPI (Communist Party of India) are in power now but, according to our guide on the Backwater boat tour we went on, won’t be for the next five years:  “After the election we won’t see the politicians for the next five years (sound familiar?) and at every election we vote out the Government” (this with one of those magnificent Kerala smiles).

On our last day in Kerala we watched a Communist procession from the balcony of our riverside hotel.  An endless stream of drummers, flag wavers, slogan shouting men and women in red/white saris crossed the one way bridge to a rally on the other side.  I somehow can’t see that Intervention fellow traveller MP Warren Snowdon (that I like to remind people had a 65% swing against him in Yuendumu at the last election) summoning similar support.  Apart from the marchers, we got the impression that Keralans are thoroughly underwhelmed by their politicians (join the club!).

Petty thievery seems to be non-existent.  On a few occasions Wendy was told that it was OK to leave her bag or purchases unguarded, and so it was.  Everywhere people left their bicycles or motorbikes unlocked and unattended.  Corruption by high officials on the other hand is a national obsession if the television news and newspapers are anything to go by.  At the time we were there, a prominent case was the “Ice Cream Parlour” affair by which some high officials are alleged to be tainted.  The Ice Cream Parlour apparently was a front for sexual shenanigans (I wonder if Berlusconi ever went there?) as well as having international criminal money laundering connections.  Another high profile matter was that a highly placed monk in the Dalai Lama’s organisation was found to have a large stash of cash, including Chinese currency, which the Dalai Lama claims is from worldwide contributions.

We in Australia of course don’t have corruption.  The Howard Government was telling the truth when it claimed it knew nothing about the proposed training of ex-SAS personnel as wharfies in Dubai.  Neither did the Government know anything about that AWB business.  Jenny Macklin is sincere and honest when she tells all and sundry that Income Management is working (Aboriginal Children putting on weight) and that it is a good idea to roll it out to the rest of Australia, and yes, she relies more on her research department than on her PR- Media Spin mob to make such pronouncements.

Just a thought: retrench 50 GBMs (Ginger Bread Men) to save the ATP (Australian Tax Payer) around $15M per annum.  I think this is a sacrifice many remote communities would be prepared to make.

Put $3M aside for the re-establishment of bilingual programmes in remote Aboriginal communities and donate $12M to the Flood/cyclone victims of Queensland.

Quelle bonne idée!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZfc4OL8L3o

A bientot

François