In Kerala politics, Satheesan's shoes are the issue, not Trump or tariffs

The politics in Kerala operate in a different universe - one in which Trump and tariffs do not intrude. And why not, because all politics is local after all. In Kerala’s case, it’s hyper-local.

When global markets went into a swoon and investors left in a tizzy over Trump’s new import duties on the rest of the world, the politics in Kerala revolved around a pair of sneakers. And no ordinary shoes either if you were to believe all the noise around it in social and news channels.

The shoes were worn by the V.D. Satheesan, the leader of the opposition in the Kerala Assembly and a trenchant critic of the LDF government. Satheesan is quite well-heeled too, in the sense that he has never hidden the fact that he comes from a wealthy background.

Now, the ‘problem’ started when he was seen sporting Cloudtilt shoes from the hugely popular On brand. And then the news cycle went into overdrive - did Satheesan’s shoes cost Rs300,000? And how could someone who was an aspiring chief minister and man of the masses even think of being seen in such expensive sneakers.

So, forget about what’s happening in the rest of India or even the world. In Kerala politics, appearances are what matters. Now, Satheesan has since challenged detractors to prove that it actually costs that much, and he said he’s even willing to sell it off for Rs5,000.

Politics is about optics, and the fracas over Satheesan’s shoes follows another recent crisis over an Emporio Armani handbag that the Kerala health minister Veena George had with her on a recent trip to Delhi.

Now, what’s wrong with politicians in Kerala being a bit brand conscious? When the denizens of Kerala itself revel in being among the most consumerist in the India. Keralites have no issue with film stars or industrialists flaunting extreme wealth, but they say something is wrong when their politicians show they know a thing or two about consumer brands. Even if politicians repeat the ‘We are with the poor’, are they expected to live to those same standards?

Somehow, you just can’t picture Shashi Tharoor, the erudite MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, former NDA central minister and brand new president of the Kerala BJP, ever letting go of their designer accessories even when shod in everyday clothes of a politician. Even John Brittas, the Rajya Sabha MP closely associated with the LDF government, has been known to have a sense of style. (Even though some time back, the CPM did suspend an MP for showing up with an Apple Watch and a Montblanc pen. And Karnataka’s Siddaramiah having to explain away a ‘Rs7 million’ watch.) Now, if Satheesan wants to spend on the best designer sneakers, why would anyone want to interfere with that? Does owning and wearing an On pair - incidentally the brand favoured by tennis legend Federer - make Satheesan less of a politician when it comes to tackling the most complex issues Kerala faces?

But in Kerala’s politics, every change moves at a glacial pace. That would, by the looks of it, include what Keralities expect their politicians to wear or carry around.

Trump and tariffs can wait…