As the global event Trichur Pooram is nearing Trichur Corporation is on a scamper in this eleventh hour to make arrangements for being its most hospitable host. Dr.A.M.C.Menon talks about the burlesque and haste activities going on in the Swaraj Round in the name of beautification and development, to sowl the Trichurians through financial and social strife.

Reading the news paper casually will always conceal the actuality of the version presented. Always give an extra analytical approach so as to help you get at the root; you will be surprised how cunningly the readers are deceived, masqueraded the definite intention envisioned.

When a minister calls for “Forestation of Certain Lands” (“Vanavalkkaranam”) you will be moved and inclined to oblige immediately visualizing the luscious greenery of future. You are likely to miss the key point in the obscure last sentence that initially the old plants have to be cut and cleared for planting the new ones. That is all for the project because they need only the dead woods for selling and forestation will be stopped abruptly after that.

In the beginning of Nineties there was an idea to start metro railway in Kochi and punctually the minister announced with a lot of marveling words of mesmerism cleverly hiding the real intention of sanctioning and bagging the Rs.300 crores of initial expenditure for the proposed project.

For years we had been raking our brains to come up with innovative ideas to improve and beautify the Thekkinkadu, of ‘Vadakkunnathan’ and tried many supercilious adoptions; the details are complicated and convoluted to write down. In the beginning of 80’s the archeological department of Govt. of India spent some fifteen lakhs to fix electric flood lights for illuminating the Vadakkumnnathan Temple but the scheme was a failure for reasons unknown and not even once the spotlights did function. Grass is natural growing foliage of Kerala but we always cleared the areas when grass was overgrowing but we do need ‘foreign’ grass for decorations and a lot of water to sprinkle for the proper growth. The concerned authorities brought ‘foreign’ grass and tried to develop the same in the tropical conditions of our state but a single ‘pooram’ devastates the whole cultivation in the “maidan”.

The old tar road round the south portion of the ‘maidan’ was removed and two new tiled ones appeared. Though the edges are not properly finished, and crumbling, it gives a definite different facelift along with the displaced concrete slabs and excavated pot holes from the previous beautification scheme of planting flux boards for advertisements. Never mind, it is only some Rs. Five crores in the drain.

The remarkable achievement in this sophisticated planning is the construction of a subway in round south for the pedestrians for safe crossing of the road. But the ignorant people refuse to use it and the antisocials are happy to convert it to a lavatory. But the authorities are smarter; they have locked and kept the key in safe custody!

Having acknowledged the authentic success of this modern contrivance they built yet another one in front of the Paramekkavu temple but this time they didn’t open it at all for the ill mannered public; instead, they kept it in safe and sound possession of the Mayor of the Thrissur Corporation as soon as it was completed!

The spectacular and ingenious act was the modifying and beautifying the seventy five years old concrete roads by two feet thick tarring over them!! A thing even America will admire! Despite all their ingenuity in extravaganza and lustrous luxurious squander, they (The Americans) may never have inclined to experiment such an imaginative and innovative design like ornamental brittle tiling over the pristine granite!!!

Even Obama  may be fascinated to have a look at our cultural capital after his meeting with Dalai Lama!

Photos Courtesy :Mr.Jayson Joseph Chacko

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