Here are some themes that will dominate Keralites' thoughts in the new year - from rather local ones to global concerns. Onmanorama brings you six things that will be on top of every Keralite's mind in 2017.
1. Will the liquor ban go?
Alcohol has remained a dominant narrative in recent years in Kerala, all because of the dubious liquor policy of the previous UDF government that proposed a staggered ban on a liquid that most Malayalis would kill for.
Once the CPM-led LDF came to power last June, there is only one question that everyone is asking: will all those closed bars be reopened? Will the alcohol ban be jettisoned?
Neither the CPM nor the government has given any clear hint on this so far. But on several occasions, they have reiterated that prohibition has not worked anywhere. While they say their proclaimed stance is to work toward promoting abstention from liquor – an impractical, even laughable proposition – the CPI, the second biggest LDF constituent after the CPM, has been vocal in demanding a change in the liquor policy, and reopening of at least some of the closed liquor outlets.
The LDF’s ambivalence can be easily explained: a rolling back of the policy could easily be interpreted as promotion of liquor and bring upon the government the ire of a large section of women voters and religious outfits – or at least that is the accepted wisdom. The government and the ruling front will have to come up with some really convincing reasons to revoke the liquor ban and be ready to combat a virulent attack from the political opposition. Still, a change in liquor policy seems inevitable sooner than later. The tippler will have the last laugh over the teetotaler and the abstinence brigade – if history is any indication. And it could happen this year, as such a decision made closer to an upcoming election could have some serious political fallout.
2. Are these superstars retiring - finally?
For many Keralites, the days of the superstars were over, something to be recalled with nostalgia – and then some relief. And then came Pulimurugan. Even as the Mohanlal-starrer crossed the Rs 100 crore mark, it also granted a new lease of life to the superstars – Mohanlal and Mammootty, primarily -- and rekindled the hopes of film producers that the old days of formulaic big hits are back again.
The scenario was getting grim for the superstars, with their big productions bombing in the box office one after another. Some Keralites had even begun to hope that the writing on the wall would be read, and the supers will start to play roles that suit their age – and today’s audience.
But the star-studded movies listed for this year don't give any hint of any such change. What will rule the silver screen this year -- the same old superstars or a change in sensibility? We too want to know.
Separately, the crisis in the Malayalam film industry over sharing of revenues between theater owners and producers that saw a Christmas with no new releases, is still far from over. Hopefully, this will end soon – too many families are dependent on this industry, and we Keralites want to watch more films.
3. When will the cash crunch go away?
The prime minister’s much-awaited address to the nation just before the last year bid adieu has not helped much in terms of easing the cash crunch Keralites are suffering from – along with the rest of the country – post the demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. Some reports say the cash crunch could stay for a few more months. The prime minister did not leave us much enlightened about this aspect either, though the hike in the ATM withdrawal limit to Rs 4k from January 1, by itself, is a huge relief.
Also, if the intent of demonetization was to curb corruption and to battle against black money, the details as to what happened post-demonetization remains a mystery for the common citizen.
Hopefully, the time wasted before ATMs will be reduced heavily as the RBI’s attempt to increase liquidity finally gains traction. But when would that happen? We are as clueless as you are!
4. We want Kerala’s political murders to end now
The brutal bloodshed over political ideologies has continued unabated in Kerala, even increased last year after the CPM-led LDF came to power in the state.
The CPM and BJP – the latter emboldened by power at the Center and its opening of account in the state assembly – have continued their tit-for-tat murders despite Kerala’s vaunted higher literacy levels and social development indices.
Sadly, there is no political will visible to end the bloodshed that has brought shame to the entire state.
The prognosis on this count is not very encouraging either: New Year’s day saw eight people injured in separate incidents of political violence, in Kannur and in Thiruvananthapuram.
The question is whether Kerala’s politicians have the guts to move their cadres away from this path of unending, even nauseating, violence that has scarred families and the larger society? Kerala wants an answer, immediately.
5. Address the stray-dog menace – but not by stringing them up
This is a peculiarly Kerala problem. Stray dog attacks saw a spurt in the latter half of 2016, splitting the state vertically on whether to cull or adopt more humane ways to control the number of the canines. Some politicians were quick to exploit the public anger over the stray attacks, to the point of killing the poor animals and stringing them up in public – an act that put Kerala on the global shame map and invited rebuke from outspoken former Supreme Court justice Markanday Katju, who had praised Keralites earlier for their broad outlook and adaptability.
As a society we need to take a deeper look at the issue, find out why the number of strays has increased so much and address those root causes. One of them is disposing trash in the open, by the roadside, and offering a ready supply of food for strays.
But all Keralites want to see this issue addressed effectively – and in a humane manner – this year.
6. Global financial worries weigh on sentiment
Kerala thrives on remittances from the about 25 lakh Malayalees working abroad – Kerala accounts for about a sixth of the total remittances to India. Together, they sent back more than Rs 1.1 lakh cr home in 2014-15 through banks. But things are not very rosy for the world economy. Protectionism, and the calls for giving jobs to locals, are rising everywhere. Trump’s election to the top job in the United States has many Malayalee – and Indian – IT pros worried about job prospects abroad. The Gulf states are thinking of giving more jobs to locals, reducing opportunities for Keralites wanting to work and earn abroad.
Add to that the still shaky world economy. Rubber and spices markets, despite recovering, are still nowhere near their great boom days, removing a growth engine from Kerala’s economy.
The picture is still hazy but it is something all Keralites will want better clarity on this year.
(Compiled by G Ragesh, Divya P and Gopika KP)
