Anil and Jeeva

Anil and Jeeva in their home

They are people of “good character.” Anil and Jeeva are in the business of navigating a changing India.  They run a small home-stay in Munnar the heart of the tea area in Kerala.  Munnar is a respite from the rest of India. Cooler temperatures and the orderly carpet of tea plants spread over hundreds of hectares of luscious green hills, are in stark contrast to life below. 

Munnar tea plantations

They are living their dream with two children and a small business as they they try predict India’s response to its interaction with modernity. Using their conversations with Europeans they have a small window into what is next. However theirs is an uncertain dream in the flux confronting India.

Anil worries about the enormous amount of time his son has to spend working in school.  Driven by hyper-competitive entrance exams their son attends boarding-school where he spends 7 days a week learning.  Anil says, “this cannot be healthy” and thinks his son will leave this system stunted socially and personally.  But what can you do in a country that demands competition for limited spaces to top flight universities.    

They are also watching Munnar’s transformation from a small hill-top hamlet to a significant tourist destination.  Responding to this avalanche of change they took an unusual course, they closed the travel shop in the town and sold their adjoining home “for tourist price” and bought in the small village 10 km’s out of town.  They built their dream home on the additional land they could now afford and bet tourists would seek a quiet, green, and personal holiday experience.  And they waited, and waited.  Friends said they were crazy, building on a site without tea plantation views, and the apprehension that they made a mistake grew.  But after two years the beautiful walk of the surrounding village, the 1 hour climb into the surrounding plantations, and the community of Chithirpuram worked out.  People came and their home became the number one listing on trip advisor. 

However, the view of the gorge below has eventually drawn others to share the dream.  A massive hotel is being built a block away.  The idyllic paradise has been shaken by a large mega construction.  Anil’s frustration is palpable and he sees this intrusive style of development as wasteful, environmentally and socially.  The money would be better used promoting people to expand their homes, create home-stay’s, and encourage a more equal distribution of social capital that would be sustainable that blended into the natural landscape.  They are frustrated with a culture of greed that is pervasive in this new India. 

View of Mega Hotel a block from their home-stay.  The pictures here are taken from another new construction just up the way at Chithipurum.

Then Jeeva’s sister is in Canada and says, why did you not come here, you would be so much richer.  Like many in modern India families have been wrenched apart as Indians have taken advantaged of a global economy and moved to North America, Europe, and the Middle East. But they are living their dream and it is too late for them. But they worry for their son.  Should he not be able to enjoy the privileges of a western education and life.  But he is 16 and they would miss him terribly and are concerned how he would manage on his own in a new country.  And then how could they afford this.  Although comfortable in India the money they earn would not go far in Canada.  That means his education would be prohibitively expensive and would require them to liquidate some of the investments they might rely on in the future. 

Tea plantation workers 

I also asked if this might create a suphocating link of obligation between father and son.  But Anil explains this is the way in India, families sacrifice for children, but with sacrifice comes with expectations. However, he is uncomfortable making claims on his son’s future he really just wants him to have the best in the world. Anil’s and Jeeva’s real concern is that they will not be able to visit him, touch him, and they might in the end lose him. How can they facilitate what is best for their son in a fiscally and personally responsible way?

“Daughters are not as expensive.”  They want their 12 year old daughter to be able to choose whatever she wants to study and be happy.  She tells me her favorite subject is Science, but Jeeva see’s an artistic talent that she hopes will remain. But they do not want to fuss about her art, “let her discover it on her own.”  Maybe there is an art school near Chennai, but for now they will see.

For girls there is not the same pressure to get to the best school and to be wealthy.  Marriage will ultimately define their future.  Yes, a dowry is still necessary, but for a boy to marry he needs to be well off and established and that requires the best education.  What about a love marriage? (they themselves fell in love at school the 18 year old Anil flirting and courting 16 year old Jeeva under the watchful eye of her father the Botany professor.) So a love marriage? Yes this Ok, but they will wait and see what happens in the future.  For Jeeva, as long as it is a Christian partner, this will be alright. 

pointing not to the future, but towards his wife who is "a hard worker."

So they watch and try to anticipate India changing landscape.  For our part, Linda and I were so privileged to be allowed to share their concerns, dreams, and views.  The greatest facet of travel is to be able to meet people and get to share their humanity.  Anil and Jeeva have given us that chance and we wish them well as we all make decisions about our respective futures.