My dad left Kerala in the 50\'s when abject poverty forced him to give up his education after the 10th grade and take up a job with the Indian Railways to educate his siblings. Ever since, we have lived outside the state where we belong and everytime I visited Kerala, my heart has been longing to go back there. What has put me off time and again is the militant mentality of Kerala\'s populace and a feeling that my fundamental rights as a citizen are trampled upon with gay abandon by a bunch of hooligans with support from the government. India\'s reputation as a democratic country seems to hold no water in Kerala. Any street urchin can bulldoze you into paying up for things you wish to do on your own with the police remaining mute spectators to this daylight robbery. Yes, communism has it\'s advantages too. Militant labour has ensured Kerala has not developed industrially and that has more or less kept Kerala\'s rivers relatively clean and air unpolluted. If Achuthanandan\'s efforts bear fruit, it gives me the hope I can return to the land of my fore fathers some day. I live in the middle of Silicon valley and I must say that though Silicon Valley developed into what it is, this development took place in harmony with nature. California\'s wildlife is more or less intact with vast areas left untouched. Even in areas where development is high, deer and birds are in abundance and traffic stops to let geese cross a street. I wish our chief minister the very best in his efforts!
