Produced and released in 1975, based on the book by the same name, ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest’ is considered one amongst the Greatest films ever made. It finds a place in the American film Institute’s ‘100 years… 100 movies’ list. Call it tragedy, comedy, drama or anything that you may please, it is a thriller that one must find time to watch.
I watched it many years ago. But one question haunts me still. Who was the cuckoo?
Was it the lively Randle McMurphy, a convict and pretender who encouraged other inmates to discover their strength within and turned tables on Milldred Ratched, the head nurse or was it the Native American “Chief” Bromden, the pretender deaf-mute, who smothered a lobotomized McMurphy to death, before escape?
Though there is nothing even remotely linked, I was reminded of the movie when I read the recent news of a person who went missing from the government nominated 'team of farmers’ from Kerala who went to Israel on a, government sponsored trip to study modern farming trends. Reason for farming declining as an occupation in Kerala, is not a secret that requires visits to Israel, Europe or the USA to discover. Everyone knows it but chooses to pretend otherwise. Kerala is neither a mental asylum nor are those who go on government sponsored foreign trips, pretenders. Absolutely NOT! Though the individual has returned and sought pardon from the Government of Kerala, a seemingly unfazed government is said to have been left red faced. Going by precedents, the farmer, real, nominated as one or pretending to be one, will have reasons to repent even more, as the might of the party, government or both will lean on him, sooner or later and certainly once the media glares elsewhere.
Pretentious pretenders plenty notwithstanding, do citizens actually leave India for good?
My search on the web didn't yield much either as research articles or as statistics. Either much is NOT available in the open domain or I failed to find the right source. However according to what I stumbled upon, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai is said to have stated in the Lok Sabha during the winter session of the Indian Parliament, that a total of 6,08,162 Indians gave up their citizenship, starting 2017 and ending 10th September 2021. {2017 - 1,33,049, 2018 - 1,34,561, 2019 - 1,44,017, 2020 - 85,248 2021 (Up till Sept 10) -1,11,287}. These are official figures and do not take into account those taking the illegal route out. Considering the fact that Kerala has a huge share of expatriates, many if not most opting out should logically be Keralites. Figures are NOT readily available.
But, why should anyone leave Kerala?
‘God’s Own country’, after all, has social indices at par or better than many advanced countries in the world! Do government policies, back breaking tax regime, depleting job opportunities, rising number of unemployables, mafia-like trade unionism, rising number of mob-justice cases, a state of denial perpetuated by those in power and a creeping sense of insecurity have anything to do with it? This and many other such questions, our beloved ‘rulers’ must ask themselves.
If what is seen around me is to be believed, many have already left for good. More are leaving and very many more are in the process of finding ways and means to do it. What was once a trickle is slowly turning into a torrent. Initially those working in the Gulf took off from there and found ways to permanently migrate to the USA, Canada, Australia, UK, New Zealand and many other countries. Now those residing here too are queuing up for the escape door. Post COVID demand for nurses has helped accelerate the process.
Interestingly, though more people are getting out, flow of foreign remittances seems to slowly thin out. The most visible sign is that many palatial houses that once were owners’ pride are turning into ghost houses. The economy is feeling the pinch forcing rulers to find ways to extract more. These are tough times and tough times need tough measures! Ironically, a current budget proposal that could soon be approved aims at levying taxes on empty houses. When implemented it will be akin to levying an ‘escape tax’. Having taxed just about everything and splurged most of the earnings on themselves and run out of money, our rulers seem to have come up with this cruel yet innovative option to raise money.
They have a valid reason. Empty houses, according to them, are burdens on the environment and therefore must bear a cost. They seem to forget the huge number of jobs it generated when constructed and still continues to generate, the money they paid to unions for doing nothing but gawking, the money they now continue to pay the state as charges for electricity and water without using, the property and land tax without occupying these; all for the terrible sin for wanting to come back once a year to connect to their roots. Killing the Golden Goose in another form? A down-run in construction activity is on the cards and if one NRI decides to demolish his house, a flurry of demolitions is likely to follow.
Given the current scenario, only Gods can save Kerala’s economy. But there's a problem. These are times when Gods need goons for protection. in that case, is salvation even remotely possible? With leaders being deified and ascribed with divinity, maybe our refuge might rest there!
Doubts linger!
Who is the cuckoo here? Those who fly away to distant shores or the ones left behind, lobotomized into silence?
Who are the pretenders here? Our rulers who declare everything is fine and their devout followers who chant amen or the subjects who willingly or out of fear comply in silence?
