Kannur to Cuba

CUBA, A LITTLE ISLAND in the Caribbean, has defied its mighty neighbour, the US, for over six decades. Ever since the Cuban Revolution of 1959, Marxists in Kerala have been fascinated by Cuba. They watched with growing interest the rise and demise of Che Guevara, the evolution of Cuban communism, the towering presence of Fidel Castro, Cuba’s resilience in the face of economic strangulation, its survival in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse, and its remarkable strides in education and healthcare.

In an evocative and entertaining new book Mad About Cuba, Ullekh NP, describes the realisation of his long-cherished dream to visit the communist nation. The book combines a delightful travelogue with sharp political analysis, skilfully blending unabashed humour and deep concern.

The author’s reference to “the Malayalification of Che Guevara” had me in splits. I’d always found it amusing to hear the Marxists utter the name. Chintha Jerome’s tinkling voice tickled in my ears one more time. ‘Chegu-vera.’ A single word rhyming with ‘Reghu’ in its Mallu avatar.

The reader will find revelations aplenty, even if he/she is an abnormally erudite scholar. The families of Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz migrated to the US a couple of years before the Cuban Revolution. “In 1991, The Cuban Communist party removed atheism as a prerequisite for membership.” This was something the leftists of Kerala ought to have copied, perhaps.

“On a good day, a vintage car chauffeur in Cuba earns much more money than a qualified doctor earns in a month.” This came as a shock. “Basically, the youth don’t want to shoulder the struggle that their parents’ generation had undertaken in the name of the Revolution. They are not as invested in fighting off the globally condemned US embargo.” Time changes everything.

“Guevara is the most admired person in the country,” the author avers. This comes as no surprise. Kerala loves him too. But the real shocker is Che’s “critical notes on the Soviet Manual of Political Economy” wherein he predicted “the return of capitalism to the socialist bloc.” I was aware of Che’s stint as head of the National Bank and the Department of Industrialization as well as his stellar role as Minister of Industries from 1961 until 1965, when he took on a secret mission to Congo. But I suspect many hardcore commies of God’s Own Country are unaware of Che’s administrative genius, which this book gently unveils. The author does not mention Fidel’s ‘Armageddon Letter’ (to the Soviet Premier) though he clearly describes the nuclear threat, the secret deal between Kennedy and Khrushchev to avert a nuclear confrontation, and Fidel’s annoyance at being kept out of the loop.

Mad About Cuba reveals how much Kerala and Cuba have in common besides long-standing Marxist traditions; tender coconut water, hard drinks. (I confess I’d never heard of Cubanito or Vitamin R (rum) before.) Sky-high literacy rates, including female literacy. Advanced healthcare systems. Enviable life expectancy rates. More freedoms for women. Zero population growth. Out-migration of youth. The disappearance of what the author calls “forced atheism”. Religious rituals involving the sacrifice of chickens. That’s why every Mallu and Mallu- American should read this book. It is manna for researchers and intellectuals and a heady cocktail for the layman.

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