How Amitav Ghosh's Book On Colonial Indonesia Inspired A Kerala Budget Policy

"Only in Keralam would a Chief Minister base a policy proposal on a book like The Nutmeg's Curse."

That was the reaction of acclaimed author Amitav Ghosh after learning that Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan had cited his book as an influence behind a major maritime heritage initiative announced by the state government.

Ghosh made the remark on X after a social media post by Dr SA Hafiz, a geriatrician and public health physician, drew attention to the unusual connection between the book and government policy.

Only in Keralam would a Chief Minister base policy proposals on a book like 'The Nutmeg's Curse'! https://t.co/UMDHiOYmje

— Amitav Ghosh (@GhoshAmitav) June 21, 2026

Dr Hafiz revealed that he had gifted The Nutmeg's Curse to Satheesan about a year ago and never imagined it would eventually shape public policy discussions.

"Thanks Amitav Ghosh for reposting my post on the impact The Nutmeg's Curse had on our CM. Personally it is very gratifying for me. When I presented the book to VD Satheesan sir about a year ago, never thought it would be such impactful," Dr Hafiz wrote.

The story surfaced after Satheesan, speaking at the "Read with VD" session organised by Malayala Manorama as part of National Reading Day celebrations, spoke about books that had influenced his thinking as Chief Minister.

Among them was The Nutmeg's Curse, a book whose central narrative is set not in Kerala but in Indonesia's Banda Islands, once the world's only source of nutmeg.

"It's not for nothing that Kerala is the most literate state, @GhoshAmitav! An electorate of readers will elect a politician who reads (and even sometimes one who writes)!" Congress MP Shashi Tharoor posted on X.

It's not for nothing that Kerala is the most literate state, @GhoshAmitav ! An electorate of readers will elect a politician who reads (and even sometimes one who writes)! https://t.co/HMbui4JuyV

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 22, 2026

The book recounts the Dutch East India Company's conquest of the islands in the 17th century and the destruction of the indigenous Bandanese people as European powers fought for control of the lucrative spice trade. From that episode, it explores the wider impact of colonial expansion, maritime trade routes and the global competition for resources.

Satheesan said his reading of the book, along with historical accounts of the Portuguese, Dutch and British presence in Kerala, reinforced his belief that the state's maritime history remains an underutilised asset.

The Chief Minister specifically cited the proposed International Maritime Museum near Muziris as an initiative influenced by his reading. He said Kerala's centuries-old connections to global trade networks and seafaring traditions could be developed into a major international tourism attraction.

The resulting chain of events is unusual even by Kerala's politically vibrant standards: a doctor gives a book about colonial-era Indonesia to a politician; the politician later becomes Chief Minister; ideas from the book help shape a budget proposal linked to Kerala's maritime heritage; and the author himself publicly marvels at the journey.