Amartya Sen & the Kerala 'model'

By George Mathew

THE `KERALA model' has come into vogue in contemporary literature on development. Questions are being asked whether the Kerala model is sustainable. Is it replicable? Dr. Amartya Sen during his recent visit to Kerala repudiated the argument that there is what is called a Kerala model, and disclaimed that he had ever used the term. At best, what has happened is Kerala's experience of development. In the last 40 years or so he has visited the State about 20 times and in his speeches and writings for more than two decades Kerala figures prominently. It began with his association with Dr. K. N. Raj when they were colleagues in the Delhi School of Economics (1963-71) and Dr. Sen acknowledges that it was Dr. Raj who first drew his attention to the educational experience of Kerala and was, in fact, responsible for his interest in studying the nature and far-reaching implications of Kerala's experience.

In several of Dr. Sen's writings on Kerala the year 1817 is given as a benchmark because that year saw the young woman ruler Rani Gouri Parvathi Bai of Travancore issuing a royal proclamation that ``the State should defray the entire cost of the education of its people in order that there might be no backwardness in the spread of enlightenment among them, that by diffusion of education they might become better subjects and public servants...'' Evidently, this rescript heralded the unleashing of progressive forces against backwardness, superstition, conservatism and casteism by Travancore, and later on, other parts of Kerala.

However, Dr. Sen's visit this time was not to praise Kerala's achievements but to take stock of the situation and join in the collective search for future actions. Obviously, being an economist and philosopher he could not give prescriptions but only show the broad contours of future action for the players - teachers, students, Government, management, political parties, political leaders and above all, the civil society - to move forward.

It was widely recognised that Dr. Sen came to Kerala at a time when there was general concern about education at two levels. First, at the national level, the serious attacks that have been made on the National Policy on Education - conversion of all educational bodies under the Ministry of Human Resource Development into instruments for implementing the ideological- political agenda of a particular group with an outdated mode of thinking, unscientific world view, iniquitous ideology, obscurantist outlook and sectarian agenda. If this trend continues, the forces of casteism, conservatism, superstition and backwardness will be encouraged in all parts of the country, and will the return of these forces with a vengeance in Kerala then be far off?

Second, at the State level, serious questions were being raised as to the quality of education being pursued. Is education in Kerala moving in the right direction? Has complacency about its so-called educational attainments led to stagnation and even deterioration? Is education still a humanitarian mission or has it become a commercial venture? Is education being used as a tool in the hands of vested interests for the furtherance of their goals?

I have attempted to sum up Dr. Sen's thesis on Kerala as he sees the State today for it has some valuable insights for other States as well as for all those concerned with social development. First, Kerala's successful experience in development should not be confused with a Kerala model of development. Model- based thinking is static, backward-looking, and ultimately counter-productive. From Kerala's experience and from objective indicators of what it has achieved in social, economic and political fields through education, which according to Dr. Sen has been spectacular and the rest of India had much to learn.

Second, Kerala could achieve so much because of what he calls the constructive and combative roots of its historical background. The constructive roots are Kerala's indigenous intellectual history and the impact of its global exposure. The latter has resulted in a tolerant pluralism in the State, brought about by opening its doors to other peoples and cultures, because the host society remains alive to learning from other traditions, and other ways of living. Pro-education features of Kerala's Hindu tradition, compared with other parts of India, created the ideal climate for the royal family of Travancore to pursue its social and educational goals and gave them the ability and willingness to move in a radical direction. Dr. Sen mentions the role of Sankaracharya and Aryabhata, citing sources which hold that Aryabhata was from somewhere in Kerala. The contribution of Christian missionaries to the expansion of educational facilities in Kerala is another constructive move.

The combative elements of Kerala society began with the rise of lower classes against the rigid caste system and upper caste domination. Dr. Sen says ``the opposition to caste inequalities took a particularly pro-mass education form. There was a dialectical response: the spread of education helps to overcome the traditional inequalities of caste, class, and gender, just as the removal of these inequalities contributes to the spread of education. There was an upper caste combative move.'' The second most important combative move can be seen in Kerala's radical politics especially after the 1950s which transformed the combative issue of caste and class inequality into one of public activism and educational construction.

Third, education in Kerala has created major enhancement of day- to-day human freedom, capacity for asserting other rights such as health care, demands for more public services and monitoring their delivery, a better climate for gender equity, and above all, much faster reduction in income poverty than in many other States.

Fourth, having identified what has been achieved, Dr. Sen moves on to point out the important lacunae in Kerala society. These are identified in what has been achieved compared to what could have happened. Dr. Sen calls it ``lack of reach in enhancing empowerment''. What are they? (1) Tertiary educational potentials have not been developed adequately - Kerala's relative position has slid back in some respects. (2) Kerala could have done much more on the content and quality of education at different levels to suit the contemporary demands of a rapidly expanding information economy. (3) Overall performance in raising growth rates and increasing per capita income has not been addressed. Keralites go everywhere to make a living, but why is it that opportunities of income and wealth creation within Kerala are not being enhanced?

Finally, although gender inequality is reduced at some levels in Kerala it still remains at several other levels, especially in women's social and economic roles. Dr. Sen builds his optimism on the fact that Kerala is not a frozen model of conformists' approbation or conservative complacency but a radical culture. He also warns the political economists and the idealogues not to be dogmatic about globalisation because that is a phenomenon which is inescapable. It has no author or implementing agency. It offers enormous opportunities and enormous inequalities.

Dr.Sen is of the view that for Kerala the best example is that of China, which first tackled the basic problems of the people and when globalisation arrived, made the best of it. Like China, Kerala has solved the basic problems of its people - unlike China, in a democratic way - and Keralites are prized everywhere in the world. Kerala must make the best use of the opportunities created by globalisation and fight the inequalities. The present problems faced by farmers must be taken as a challenge from a long-term perspective.

A section of the media saw Dr. Sen's criticism of the present situation in Kerala as an attack on the State Government and its leadership. Far from it. He has the highest regard for the historic role played by the radical left politics in the State. But every political party must rise to the occasion and move with the times. This means a new vision and political strategy to take the state forward.

(The writer is Director, Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi.)

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