Kottayam: Inauguration of the 'Biggest Fashion Shopping Palace in the World' has already become the talk of the town here. The huge multi-storeyed palace comprising 1.25 sq feet plinth area, from 21st March this year will be a wonderful and exclusive shopping place for costumes, garments and clothings.
According to a colourful brochure printed at enormous costs (shall we say Rs 50 to 100 per brochure?) and liberally distributed to the order of tens of thousands to the local people, the inauguration of the Mega Cloth Shop is going to be nothing short of a Mega Event. As many as twenty five distinguished people will deliver felicitation speeches in the inaugural function of the big cloth shop. To crown all this, two male Super Stars who have been reigning the Malayalam Cinema for the last three decades will inaugurate the function.
You might ask who are these other distinguished people participating in various capacities in connection with the opening of this huge saree shop-
Mr Ommen Chandy, the Leader of Opposition, Kerala : Will light the auspicious lamp
Mr P J Joseph, Minister, PWD : Will inaugurate the Wedding Section
Mr K M Mani, Former Minister : Will make the first sale.
Apart from this, see who else are there for delivering felicitation speeches:
Sitting MLAs: 7 ( including the person representing the assembly constituency)- belonging to various political parties
Sitting MPs: 2 ( including the person representing the parliamentary constituency)
Former Ministers: 2
Former MPs: 1
Political leaders in other categories: 7
Police Officer of the rank of IPS category: 1
Anyone going through the recent history of development of commercial activities in Kerala can note that three things have been much dominant, leaving way behind other areas of trade and enterprenership-
Of these, the foremost is gold. Of late, jwellery shops housed in multi storeyed palacial buldings have been serving as many a new landmark even in small towns. The inaugural fanfares and festivity connected with opening these gold shops have equally become big events with Ministers, MLAs, MPs and the Super Stars participating.
After gold, of course , silk should follow.
Because, Gold and Wedding Collections (or rather, 'silk sarees & wedding collections') go as complementaries. Both these seem to be associated with the nuseating ways of displaying /exchanging wealth under the pretext of 'arranged' marriages. This has perhaps much to do with the extreme lack of self esteem of women inKerala, educated or otherwise.
The third component of this recently escalated commercial activity, is unprecedented escalation in the sale and consumption of liquors. The state-owned Kerala Beverages Corporation alone is said to be selling liquor costing around Rs 6 crores average per day, to a native population totalling about 3.5 crores plus the migrants to the state. The crowded outlets of Beverages Corporation liquor shops with serpents- like long queue in each town is a unique sight catching the eyes of an outsider. From evenings to till late nights, all- male parties getting engaged in drinking orgies inside bar hotels or elsewhere has come to be accepted as part and parcel of contemporary social life of this state.
Snobbishness seems to be the hall mark of Kerala's social life today. It looks even stranger that people from all walks of life seem to be deluded with an idea that they are educationally,culturally and socially far ahead compared to their counterparts in other states. While they often look down people who try bargaining or even making queries about cost effectiveness in big shops, they never miss an oportunity to bargain with lesser sellers, footpath vendors,etc, for the commodities and services supplied.
That even a ridiculously immaterial claim by a textile shop or jwellery shop of keeping the world's biggest show room opened in their home town seem to impress people is not just an indicator of widespread consumerist fettishism but also one betraying the big vaccuum from within. Both the managers and the distinguished participants of these mega commercial melas and events seem to think that people will ever be happy enjoying these comics and dramas, as though these would offer them a sense of prestige. Perhaps this might be precisely part of the fundamental elements that constitute the fettishized Malayalee . He/she may be madly pursuing elevation in social status by more and more of conspicuos consumption of consumer durables, while his/her inward feeling of social isolation and loss of self esteem continue to grow out of proportion. In this make believe world of consumerism ,it is no wonder that the real parameters of human happiness and richness of life are terribly distorted by the market forces.
