Kerala constantly confuses the political vocabulary of India. Here, a person can vote for the Left, visit the temple, celebrate Eid with neighbours, and enjoy fish curry without seeing any contradiction. As elections approach, Kerala once again reminds us that its society refuses to fit into neat ideological boxes. The Political Puzzle Called Keralam Kerala has a curious habit of confusing the political vocabulary of India. The tidy categories that often dominate national debates — Left versus Right, believer versus rationalist, vegetarian versus non-vegetarian, secular versus religious — tend to collapse the moment they encounter everyday life in this small state on the southwestern coast. In Kerala, it is not unusual for a person to vote for a Left party, stop by a temple on the way home, exchange Eid sweets with neighbours, and later sit down to a plate of fish curry — all without feeling the slightest ideological contradiction. As election season approaches, this peculiar social re...