DOES KERALA WANT INDUSTRIES?

Friends,
I wish everyone a Happy Diwali.
My Diwali day was spoiled by a report in Malayalam channels that a Govt body(ground water authority or something) has reported excessive ground water usage by the Pepsi-Cola factory in Palakkad. Within few days this news will snowball into strikes, agitations, dharna and whatnot against Pepsi-cola, which may eventually drive out this MNC from Kerala. Every one may remember that only few months back similar agitations led to the closure of the Coca-cola factory at Plachimada village. Now these multinationals are operating without any problem in other states of India as well as all over the world. Nobody has any complaints against them in these places. Then why this phenomenon in Kerala?

The root reason seems to me to be the dislike of Keralites to any industry in their state. They are happy to work for these same industries outside Kerala, but not in Kerala. The strange work-culture of Keralites- willing to work very hard outside Kerala, but real laziness within their state- is bewildering to me. Ground water depletion!-in a state where maximum rainfall occurs in India- and pollution seem to me lame excuses in the present case.
It is a pity that while all other states in India are eagerly trying to bring maximum amount of investment into their states, Kerala behaves in this strange,self-defeating fashion. May God give good sense to people of "God's own country"