WHY I CHOSE KERALA

The author, a cancer survivor, moved to the coastal state in 2016 for its clean air. But as Covid-19 rages across the country, he explains why he feels safest in Kerala

- AMIT VAIDYA

“AMIT, ARE YOU OKAY? I HEARD IT’S BAD IN KERALA”. IF MY IPHONE HAD AN APP TO TELL ME WHAT WAS THE ONE MESSAGE THAT IT RECEIVED THE MOST, IT’S PROBABLY THIS.

My affinity for the state of Kerala began in 2016. The admiration that began then has since blossomed into a full-fledged love affair. The last five years have healed me in a way I didn’t think it was possible and after many struggles, to be in a place where I feel both safe and content — I couldn’t ask for more.

Let’s take a step back. It has been eight glorious years since I came to India thinking my life was going to end before even landing from the United States. I ended up getting the gift of a second life after cancer, and my time has been spent seemingly all over this great country from the largest of cities like Mumbai and Delhi to the most remote rural of areas in Gujarat and Karnataka. So how and why did I end up choosing Kerala then, a state I’d never visited till I moved there, knew very little about, I couldn’t speak the language and more than anything else, had literally no ties to it at all? It’s actually a very simple answer. Just like I had educated myself about my medical journey and the ins and outs of every decision regarding my cancer treatment, finding the right place for me to now “live” was paramount to my health.