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The tale of Graffiti in Kerala

Published November 13, 2009 | By usha123

Wall poster in KochiA lexicon would define graffiti as the tasteless defacing of public properties with posters and writings; while psychologists explain it as an abnormal social behaviour to grab attention and fame or  just to have fun  at the expense of others. Whatever be the actual underlying reason for vandalism, the fact remains that Kerala thinks it as part of its life, without which things would have been so very different.

Turn your gaze to any  telephone poles or electrical transformers at the busy thoroughfares or take  a trip along the country roads and small villages, to  spot countless garish  paper posters stuck all along the walls or hung from vantage points. From election promises to the life size snaps of the candidates in the fray and protest notes against the apathy of the elected representatives and condolence notes to ‘martyrs’ who had shed their lives in political killings- you can find it all and more on the walls of public buildings, tree tops and even road dividers and traffic signals!

If you thought that graffiti plagues Malayalis only during election times, you could be in for a rude surprise! Fliers and  notices of  private tuitions to paying guest accommodations and discount sales and memory boosting drugs – a whole lot of information is forced down the throat of the hapless natives through these tasteless media for propagation of ideas day in and day out.

To escape the wrath of graffiti, many a time, house owners postpone painting their walls till the election fever subsides and post guards to protect their homes. Even the public buildings are not spared of this smear campaign though they try to deter the graffiti enthusiasts by the warning  ‘Stick no bills’ in vain! However, nothing seems to work here in Kerala, which has endorsed  graffiti as part of their culture. Its ironical to note that Keralites who are well acclaimed for their education and civic sense lag behind when it comes to the basic social issues like graffiti.




  • John Cale

    much of your graffiti may be commercial but it also very colourful and bright. How many of those stick no bills walls would benefit from a nice bright red vodafone advert rather than browning paint.

  • John Cale

    much of your graffiti may be commercial but it also very colourful and bright. How many of those stick no bills walls would benefit from a nice bright red vodafone advert rather than browning paint.

  • John Cale

    much of your graffiti may be commercial but it also very colourful and bright. How many of those stick no bills walls would benefit from a nice bright red vodafone advert rather than browning paint.

  • John Cale

    much of your graffiti may be commercial but it also very colourful and bright. How many of those stick no bills walls would benefit from a nice bright red vodafone advert rather than browning paint.

  • http://alaivani.com/Blog/tabid/56/EntryID/397/Default.aspx Jennifer

    When I lived in Chennai, the neighbors behind the house I lived had a ‘stick no bills’ bill on their concrete fence. One night about 3am some bright lights woke me up. Outside were a team of painters painting election slogans on the wall- obviously without permission. What happens to such people? What gives them the right to deface others property (albeit the final product was quite beautiful, but…)? And what would happen if the owners would come out to try to stop them? Would they? I was tempted to take a photo was worried about the flash….

  • http://alaivani.com/Blog/tabid/56/EntryID/397/Default.aspx Jennifer

    When I lived in Chennai, the neighbors behind the house I lived had a ‘stick no bills’ bill on their concrete fence. One night about 3am some bright lights woke me up. Outside were a team of painters painting election slogans on the wall- obviously without permission. What happens to such people? What gives them the right to deface others property (albeit the final product was quite beautiful, but…)? And what would happen if the owners would come out to try to stop them? Would they? I was tempted to take a photo was worried about the flash….

  • http://alaivani.com/Blog/tabid/56/EntryID/397/Default.aspx Jennifer

    When I lived in Chennai, the neighbors behind the house I lived had a ‘stick no bills’ bill on their concrete fence. One night about 3am some bright lights woke me up. Outside were a team of painters painting election slogans on the wall- obviously without permission. What happens to such people? What gives them the right to deface others property (albeit the final product was quite beautiful, but…)? And what would happen if the owners would come out to try to stop them? Would they? I was tempted to take a photo was worried about the flash….

  • http://alaivani.com/Blog/tabid/56/EntryID/397/Default.aspx Jennifer

    When I lived in Chennai, the neighbors behind the house I lived had a ‘stick no bills’ bill on their concrete fence. One night about 3am some bright lights woke me up. Outside were a team of painters painting election slogans on the wall- obviously without permission. What happens to such people? What gives them the right to deface others property (albeit the final product was quite beautiful, but…)? And what would happen if the owners would come out to try to stop them? Would they? I was tempted to take a photo was worried about the flash….

  • John Cale

    SanJay, you are right about Keralites talking about their education all the time. I think it might be a bit of a chip that they are bright but the state lacks some sort of drive. But then it is difficult to be ambitious when you have a state government that turns everything to treacle. As other Indians say: lovely place to visit but no place to work.

  • John Cale

    SanJay, you are right about Keralites talking about their education all the time. I think it might be a bit of a chip that they are bright but the state lacks some sort of drive. But then it is difficult to be ambitious when you have a state government that turns everything to treacle. As other Indians say: lovely place to visit but no place to work.

  • John Cale

    SanJay, you are right about Keralites talking about their education all the time. I think it might be a bit of a chip that they are bright but the state lacks some sort of drive. But then it is difficult to be ambitious when you have a state government that turns everything to treacle. As other Indians say: lovely place to visit but no place to work.

  • John Cale

    SanJay, you are right about Keralites talking about their education all the time. I think it might be a bit of a chip that they are bright but the state lacks some sort of drive. But then it is difficult to be ambitious when you have a state government that turns everything to treacle. As other Indians say: lovely place to visit but no place to work.

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