Kerala is thriving, and so are our lives!

Surveys and reports consistently show that Kerala has made remarkable strides in both quality of life and living standards. Over the past decade, the state has developed efficient transportation networks that ensure strong connectivity, created an environment supportive of diverse industries, and fostered a vibrant startup ecosystem that energizes young people. Alongside these, a wide range of job opportunities, both small and big, have enabled upward mobility, while advanced health and education systems and inclusive welfare programs have reached all sections of society, growing on an unprecedented scale.

What makes this truly remarkable is that these developments are reflected in people’s everyday lives. Beyond baseless criticisms, individuals look at their own lives and families and assess the changes they see around them. This is why the Left Democratic Front believes that, beyond baseless allegations, people assess the changes in their own lives and families and cast their votes accordingly.

A study by S. Irudaya Rajan, Honorary Fellow at the Gulati Institute, shows that the rate of emigration of young people from Kerala to other countries has declined since 2018. While 18 lakh people emigrated from Kerala in 2003, this number rose to 24 lakh by 2013. By 2018, however, it had fallen to 21 lakh. According to surveys, the number of returnees to Kerala was 12 lakh in 2018, rising to 18 lakh by 2023. The study points out that this shift is largely due to worsening conditions abroad and improving opportunities and living standards within Kerala. These figures suggest that people have begun to feel that Kerala itself offers a good life.

Kerala also ranks high on the Happiness Index, which measures happiness and satisfaction based on people’s well-being. In a 2021 survey conducted by India Today, Kerala topped the Happiness Index rankings. The index evaluates several factors, including per capita income, education, healthcare, basic amenities, governance, environment, occupation and employment opportunities, to assess overall human development and happiness. Numerous reports by NITI Aayog under the Central Government also indicate that Kerala continues to lead in various sectors.

When individuals reflect on their own living standards and personal experiences, the results are unmistakably positive. Over the past decade, successive LDF governments have delivered multiple tangible benefits and experiences to every citizen. The strength of these two governments lies not in promises, but in action-focused public service.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when daily wage earners faced income stagnation or loss and feared losing their daily bread, the government stepped in to support each individual. No one went hungry. Even amid income losses, financial assistance reached citizens directly, ensuring basic survival. Over ten years, welfare pensions were raised from Rs 600 to Rs 2,500 per month, providing relief to lakhs of ordinary citizens who depend solely on welfare pensions. These measures were implemented alongside efforts to rebuild Kerala after two devastating floods. The state demonstrated how a government can stand by its people when hope seemed lost, showing citizens that help and support can reach them even in the toughest of times.

The improvement in living standards of traders, industrialists, officials, and ordinary citizens alike could largely be attributed to Kerala’s development of basic infrastructure. The increased connectivity between villages and towns and between cities themselves is evident everywhere. Travel times have decreased between different places, benefiting not only everyday commutes but also the transport of goods and emergency travel. Better roads have reduced travel time, increased fuel efficiency and enhanced safety. Anyone who spends a day on the roads cannot ignore the impact of these developments.

Consider the case of Perumbalam Island, home to just 10,000 people: a bridge costing Rs 100 crore was built to connect it to the outside world without overlooking its population. Numerous isolated areas, including tribal settlements, now enjoy improved connectivity with the rest of the state. Bridges like the Kumbichal Kadavu Bridge near Vithura in Thiruvananthapuram district not only ease travel but also attract tourists. These projects serve as examples of how infrastructure development indirectly drives the economic growth of local communities.

A key indicator of change in healthcare is the growing number of patients visiting government hospitals, signalling a shift away from reliance solely on private facilities. The availability of free medicines, healthcare equipment and even laboratory tests has encouraged people from all walks of life to turn to government hospitals. Facilities have been upgraded in line with the rising patient numbers, ensuring quality care. The KIIFB fund has been instrumental in transforming basic infrastructure, providing excellent buildings and amenities at both taluk and district-level hospitals. Today, anyone visiting a government hospital in Kerala faces no issues other than the increase in patient flow.

In education, the impact is equally visible. Students who were in fifth grade in 2016 are now eligible first-time voters. Those who studied in upper primary and high school back then are now on the voters’ list. Most of them will remember that receiving textbooks used to mean waiting until the Onam examinations. During annual exams, power cuts caused considerable disruption. Today, however, students receive textbooks well before school starts, and power cuts have become almost unheard of. Kerala has moved from an era of scarcity to one where basic educational facilities and reliable electricity are taken for granted.

The impact of government initiatives is visible in the daily lives of each ordinary citizen. Over the past few years, these changes have become so routine that they sometimes go unnoticed. Yet the sense of relief felt while travelling on roads, the instinct to visit a government hospital at the first sign of illness and the confidence to send children to public schools etc all reflect the improvements brought about by government systems in each person’s life in the past ten years.

Earlier governments assumed that roads and bridges would naturally develop over time. The last two governments challenged that notion. Without mechanisms like the KIIFB fund, Kerala would not have seen the creation of high-quality roads in BMBC standards, upgraded hospitals and schools, synthetic stadiums in every district, or the kind of development seen even on national highways. Effective governance is not merely about constructing roads and bridges, but about long-term planning that includes all sections of society and secures sustainable development for the future. At the hustings, the LDF Government seeks authorization to focus on areas that still require improvement and to carry forward inclusive progress.

If people reflect on their own lives and recognize the tangible changes of the past decade, both in front of them and in their daily lives, it is certain that negative campaigns and adverse narratives will not carry any weight in Kerala at the polling booths. The Left Democratic Front faces elections relying on this confidence.

“This article is part of sponsored content programme.”

Published – April 02, 2026 10:02 pm IST