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How Kerala got rich

aeon.co

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Re: How Kerala got rich

#41

Post by vishalontheline »

readthenotes1 wrote: post #40
MathMonkeyMan wrote: post #37

Paragraph after paragraph restating the question, then: > In short ways, four forces of change – Kerala’s reintegration with the global economy, remittances from the Persian Gulf, strong welfare policies from a legacy of Leftist government, and private investment from individuals and businesses who shared the remittance flows – have combined to form the structure of Kerala’s miracle of human wellbeing with economic g…

So sending tons of people to be indentured servants in Saudi Arabian was the secret sauce.

> sending

They went on their own accord. They wouldn't have gone had the opportunity not been large enough. Plenty of people from the West have done the same and continue to do so.

Re: How Kerala got rich

#42

Post by kridsdale1 »

readthenotes1 wrote: post #40
MathMonkeyMan wrote: post #37

Paragraph after paragraph restating the question, then: > In short ways, four forces of change – Kerala’s reintegration with the global economy, remittances from the Persian Gulf, strong welfare policies from a legacy of Leftist government, and private investment from individuals and businesses who shared the remittance flows – have combined to form the structure of Kerala’s miracle of human wellbeing with economic g…

So sending tons of people to be indentured servants in Saudi Arabian was the secret sauce.

Not the same, but slavery tends to be productive for development. (I reference Indian laborers in UAE whose employers confiscate their passports. Yes they are paid, but they are not free or well treated.)

Re: How Kerala got rich

#43

Post by alephnerd »

> Fifty years ago it was one of India’s poorest states

Yea that is a absolutely wrong. A state that had the highest literacy rate at independence will unsurprisingly remain at the higher end of developmental rankings..

In the 1970s Kerala was already comparable to Indian states from a human development and economic standpoint because of a strong shipbuilding and cooperative agricultural program (same with then undivided Punjab) [0] and by 1990 had developmental indicators comparable to Delhi NCR.

Instead, we should look at states that were historically more undeveloped than Kerala but are now within range of Kerala.

As such, a better rags to riches model to dig into is Tamil Nadu [1] or Haryana [2] - both were on the lower end of India's HDI rankings in 1990, and now outperform most states and lead India in GDP per Capita as well.

Himachal Pradesh [3] and Jammu Kashmir [4][5] are two others to also look at, as they are historically undeveloped agrarian Himalayan border states with laggard developmental indicators that used land reform, cooperative agribusiness, mass rural education drives, and specialized manufacturing (Pharma in Himachal, Food Processing in Jammu) to have high HDIs.

[0] - https://eacpm.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/State-GDP-Wo...

[1] - https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-rep...

[2] - https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/comment/birth-of-h...

[3] - https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-rep...

[4] - https://ras.org.in/index.php?Article=land_reform_in_kashmir

[5] - https://cup.columbia.edu/book/a-strategic-myth/9788194717560...

Re: How Kerala got rich

#44

Post by leosanchez »

the_arun wrote: post #10

Kerala reminds me of California when it comes to natural landscapes. I really love that place. Coming literacy, what does that mean? They all know how to read & write in a particular language? OR they have passed minimum undergrad?

A person aged seven and above is considered literate in India if they can read and write with understanding in any language.

Re: How Kerala got rich

#45

Post by vishnugupta »

zkmon wrote: post #39

India has a vast variation of cultures. A few states in India look like they are quite detached from mainstream India, in terms of issues, economy, norms, politics etc. This is true for north-eastern states as well and probably J&K too. It's like a colorful patch-work of different cultures. However, there is nothing good or bad with these variations. Tourism also adds to its economy. Higher per-capita doesn't always…

This statement

> India has a vast variation of cultures.

isn’t consistent with this.

> mainstream India

Re: How Kerala got rich

#46

Post by blackoil »

ghoomketu wrote: post #38

If Kerala can do it why can't other states like Bihar do it too? (Not asking rhetorically) From what I see from the article the major gains were from investment in health and education which should be a no brainer.

Poor education at K-12 level. People from Bihar go outside but within India, to big cities like Delhi/Mumbai or farms of Punjab/Haryana.

Re: How Kerala got rich

#48

Post by vishalontheline »

ghoomketu wrote: post #38

If Kerala can do it why can't other states like Bihar do it too? (Not asking rhetorically) From what I see from the article the major gains were from investment in health and education which should be a no brainer.

Not sure about Bihar, but talent / labor export isn't just a Kerala thing. Having a network does help - makes it easy to find a job, find people to live with that speak the same language, help in difficult times etc.

Re: How Kerala got rich

#49

Post by dartharva »

The dominant majority of Keralite youth that can, still emigrates to other states and countries. I have come across hundreds of Malayalis outside of Kerala who talk fondly of their homes, but refuse to admit there being any scope of nontrivial academic or professional growth within the state.

On the other hand.. yes, Kerala is very beautiful in many ways. I wish I was born there because it's nigh impossible to settle in permanently otherwise.

Re: How Kerala got rich

#50

Post by puckspock »

the_arun wrote: post #30

Vasco da Gama, is credited with discovering a sea route to India by sailing around Africa in 1497-1498, though India was not new to the world, and the people of India were not "discovered" by Europeans. He entered India through Kerala (Calicut). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasco_da_Gama

Vasco
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