KOCHI: Buses rumble past, two-wheelers line the roadside and pedestrians go about their evening routines. Amid the bustle of a busy street, a man approaches a parked scooter, places an open wallet containing Rs 15,000 on it and walks away. He does not attempt to keep it out of sight. The wallet is left in plain view, as he waits to see if anyone would take it.
Minutes pass. People walk by, some notice the wallet. Even after more than an hour and a half, it remains untouched.
For Afghan research scholar Masoud Moslem, this was more than a social experiment. It was an attempt to showcase what he believes makes Keralam different.
Captioning his Instagram video ‘Is Kerala Really That Safe?’ Masoud’s experiment has since gone viral, attracting lakhs of interactions.
A PhD scholar at Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Masoud has been living in Keralam for the past four years.
The idea, he says, came from watching similar social experiments in other countries, where people test the safety of public spaces and the civic sense of residents. However, an earlier personal experience in Keralam had already shaped his perception of the state.
During a visit to Varkala, Masoud accidentally left his wallet at the railway station. He realised his mistake only after his train had travelled two or three stations ahead. He got off, hired a car and returned to the station, unsure whether he would find his belongings.
To his surprise, the wallet was still there, untouched.
“That was when I understood how safe the state was. I wondered how that was possible. The experience stayed with me,” he said. He also recalls noticing people leaving the keys in their cars and scooters without appearing worried about theft. These experiences eventually prompted him to conduct the experiment at Kottayam Baker Junction.
For Masoud, the experiment was also an expression of his appreciation for the people of Keralam and the respect they show towards others.
“Kerala is safe and peaceful. You can travel during the day or night without being scared. Even if I want to go out at midnight, I can just go. Nobody questions me,” he said.
He believes this sense of security cannot be attributed to the government alone, but is equally rooted in people’s behaviour and education.
“Safety is because of the people. It is not only about the government. It is because of the people and education. If something does not belong to them, they are not going to touch it. There is also no sense of strangeness towards foreigners,” he said.
Masoud regularly photographs and documents Keralam as part of his everyday life. Although he cannot read Malayalam, he has been trying to understand the overwhelming response to his video. Currently, his video on ‘Is Kerala Really That Safe?’ has attracted the attention of 1.3 million people and lakhs of likes.