J shaped , expandable stomach filled with the most common Kerala dish put ,rice flour wet in little quantity of water and steam it, green gram and pappad. There is no symptom of a fresh morning in the streets other than devotional songs from the nearby temple and special tone of muslim prayer.
On the way, I could see a theatre where the uncommon movies of south indian languages are played commonly. A double bellied man with spects was a common sight at the entrance of that theatre. Following is the junction named Trikandiyoor, which is nearby famous Trikandiyoor shiva temple.Irrespective of morning, noon and evening the silence in that junction stays constant. With many shops - stationary, textiles, fancies, margin free and jewellery. Nearby you can see a red board bearing MDC bank, that is malappuram district cooperative bank on the top storey of a building on the right side of the street.
I noticed that none other than me is walking with an umbrella even in this hot sunny days. Highest number of muslim schools are here but not yet time for the school going kids to appear in public. Sorry, they all have gone to celebrate their summer vacation after the tension packed days of their annual exams,now its silent and deserted. When I see those kids playing and fighting I am pulled back to my memorable days where I missed to stand near boundary walls to stare at the walkers and vehicles passing by.
A small cryst takes you near LIC office, Division office and posts, and repeated shops of the same kind. Nearby the peak , a government hospital is located which is always busy wth patients . Also the auto rickshaw drivers are busy carrying the patients and by standers to and fro. On the opposite side you can see the most common sight, medical stores and labs but their nunbers will never outnumber those in cities.
Again I need to take a left turn, enter into an isolated road with no shops and public but busy wth two wheelers and three wheelers. Our national telecom company BSNL is also located in this isolated place. Always I have a mess, mostly with two wheeler, sin the deep U turn here and always dangerous for walkers as well as drivers. Coming to my most favourite place, shady region with utmost silence, 'Appoppan thaadi', light weighted feather like structure flies all around, sometimes sit on my shoulder and accompany me, sometimes it flies along with me, sometimes it goes down to earth tiresome- I see many of them resting after their busy flying on both sides of the road. Away from my office some meters away there is a mosque , the prayer from that keep me alarm of the food timings.
Close to my office building is a large area left open and dumped with wastes both degradable and biodegradable. Environmental hazard remains an unanswered question all over Kerala. People are unaware of waste management, government inefficient in executing plans to maintain a neat and tidy atmosphere. I saw two people, sorry an old aged couple picking plastic wastes from it for their survival. Why are they living in such condition? Seeing them everyday, developed a bond of smile. who left them always popped up in my mind. Whether it rains or snows , whatever the weather condition is they sleep in the verandah of a shop.
Is this the India which we say developed? These people are not one or two, there are millions without food shelter and clothing. another Lok Sabha election going through, not even a single candidate came with consoling words and promises near them . The metro rails, six way NH are not what Indians require. Unless the government is able to provide basic amenities India is still a poor nation.
This is a scene from a small town Tirur, in the district of Malappuram.
