What Happened to God’s Own Country?

Swami Sachidananda Bharathi was on his crusade 'drug-free family' in Kerala. It was 1st of June 2010. At the town of Kottyam, he stopped for a reception in front of the District Collectorate. As many people came forward to share their experiences, a Christian boy of ten years shocked Swamiji when he narrated his sad story. He said he celebrated the first holy communion in the church a few days ago. After the church celebration when he reached home, he found his own relatives and family friends joining together to celebrate the event with expensive alcoholic liquor. He asked Swamiji if alcohol becomes an unavoidable part of even such a holy event, how we can ever free the society of this evil. It was something that made Swamiji reflect further on this evil. Later, the same day evening, in another meeting at Snehavani, Swamiji said drugs and alcohol are the worst curses Kerala is facing, which is nicknamed 'Gods own country’. He said that he started his crusade with Kerala because according to a BBC survey, Kerala tops the world in the use of drugs. Presenting the statistics he said that the money Keralites spend on drugs each year is enough to feed four poor states in India for four years! Despite the fact that it is the most literate state in India, and all three religions of Hinduism, Christianity and Islam exist side by side, it tops the nation for incidents of suicide, divorce, road accidents, family problems and crimes. Swamiji reminded that if Islam is noted for truthfulness, Christianity stands for love and Hinduism for Dharma, but these have hardly any effect in the way people live their lives. Swamiji reminded his listeners: “Religions without God in it are ruling the state. He warned that a nation with citizens who do not know or care little to fulfil their duties, but who always demand and fight for more rights, is in chains because it is slaves who cry for rights. He lamented the fact that even in such literate state as Kerala, basic administrative units like Panchayats have no authority to control the sale of liquor or to implement a moral code of conduct at least in the area under their care. Any takers here?