NETHERLANDS - A SPECIAL COUNTRY, IN A COMPARISON WITH THE TINY STATE OF KERALA

        Waterway in Amsterdam

                  Waterway in                                  Thiruvananthapuram 

Netherlands is a country situated in Europe with Germany on the east, Belgium on the south and North Sea on the west. Other side of the sea is England. The geographical area of Netherlands is 41,543 km², which is little more than the state of Kerala (38,863 km²). Population of the country is 1.74 Crs (2020), about half the population of Kerala
3.46 Crs (2018). Density of population is 508/km². Density of population of Kerala is much more, 860/km².  GDP per capita of Netherlands in 2020 stands at USD 52,304.06 (Rs 39,91,453.58 at current rate).Rs 281,872/-  is the GDP per capita of Kerala. While the state of Kerala can be set in comparison with the other data, the last one make all the big difference. Netherlands pci is about 14 times larger than that of Kerala.

Here comes the question. What way the people and country of Netherlands is superior than the people and the geography of Kerala? There is no much difference between the two. The only, I repeat,  only difference is the governance. While the country of Netherlands is ruled by a constitutional monarchy, the head of the state is a King or Queen whose powers are laid down in the constitution. The Ministers and Secretaries are responsible for the performance of the government. They are answerable to the people.

When we compare the two governance we can find two objectives from the output. While the Netherlands government's prime objective is the welfare of the people, our government's objective is the development of the respective political parties the government is 'representing'. In 2013 there were only 19 prisoners in the country and in 2018 there was none and they have closed down their jails and removed all staff. There is only one national police (politie in Dutch) force headed by a Commissioner under which ten regional forces and one central force, each headed by a Chief Constable. The murder rate in Netherlands is 0.59/100k. Average annual murder rate in Kerala is over 300 per year. While there were 610 road accident deaths in Netherlands in 2020, in Kerala it was 4440 in 2019, 2979 in 2020 and 2738 in 2021 (up to October). Unemployment rate in Netherlands in 2021 is 3.1%. During the corresponding period in Kerala it is 7.12%.

Among the happiest countries in the world Netherlands ranks 5th with the index 7.464. In the list of happiest countries India was 111 in 2013 and dropped further to 139 in 2021.

This must be the nutshell of a comparison. However the last indicator tells everything. While we are the second highest populated country in the world and that is our might our rulers fail to recognise this most powerful factor for the development of our country. When we take Kerala alone, we can overtake Netherlands in GDP per capita in 10 years, I repeat, in 10 years, if our governance can rise to the occassion. Just leave politics from 24×365 to confine to the day of election. Curtail the round the year political activities alone will make all the difference. Make the people concentrate on the development of the state.

K V George

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