Kerala: Another Possible World

‘There is no alternative (TINA)’ has been the slogan of the neoliberals ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The counter-slogan has been ‘Another world is possible’. Here is the story of the ongoing struggles to build ‘another world’ in Kerala India. The neoliberal imperative is to ‘maximize growth at any cost’. Kerala has embarked upon an alternative – to optimize growth within redistribution environmental sustainability gender and social justice and concerns of progressive culture. Confronting the challenges of globalization and within the ever-tightening restrictions imposed by the Union government Kerala has pursued alternative policies of protecting the public sector health and education with highly positive outcomes. These outcomes in turn have strengthened the social security and care systems and drastically reduced hunger and poverty. Democratic decentralization has provided the framework for implementing such a program with the participation of the people.