"Kochi payazha kochiyalla", an iconic dialogue from the Malayalam movie 'Big B', starring actor Mammotty, which roughly translates to 'Kochi is no longer the place that it once used to be', has been the sentence on all Kochiites lips, over the past few days. As a true blue Kochiite, I can't agree more. Kochi has changed rapidly over the years, but the love we Kochiites have for our city, it hasn't changed a bit, or wait, maybe it has changed, it has increased with time. Kochi is a beautiful amalgamation of the best of both worlds - past and present. From the lanes of Fort Kochi where history sleeps, to the hustle and bustle of the third largest shopping mall in India - Lulu International Shopping Mall, to the ever expanding list of I.T companies in Infopark, Kakkanad, Kochi boasts of a very rich past and a very promising future. The best part of Kochi is that even in the midst of all the development, it is as beautiful, maybe even more beautiful than it used to be - its backwaters, its beaches, its parks, endearing sights all of them. Every year, the list of things that endear the city to its inhabitants has been growing bigger and bigger, and now, there is a new addition to the list, one which towers over all the items in the list, one which we had been waiting for long, one that became a reality just a day back and one which is there to stay forever - The 'Kochi Metro'.
It maybe just another "Metro" rail service for others, but for Keralites, especially Kochiites, it is a matter of pride, it is a feeling of being at par with the best in the country, it is a hope for a far better and beautiful future for the next generations to come. The inauguration of 'Kochi Metro' yesterday, was the culmination of the efforts of a dedicated team of professionals under the guidance of the 'Metro Man' Dr. E. Sreedharan himself. It was the result of a lot of support from the state and central government over the years. It was also the result of a lot of good wishes from the people of Kochi, who had to bear with a lot of difficulties, over the last three years due to the construction of the metro - traffic congestion, road diversions, dust from the construction site to name a few. Then there were some who made the biggest sacrifice for the sake of the development of the city, that of giving up their land, their homes, their shops, their jobs to make way for the new metro rail service, the unsung heroes of the 'Kochi Metro'. Last but not the least, our brothers from across the Kerala border, who worked day in and day out to make the dream of a million Keralites a reality, migrant labourers from across various states of India.
As the 'Kochi Metro' made its first official run yesterday with the Hon'ble PM of India onboard, my father and I, we waited near Edapally station to get a glimpse of history in the making, as did so many other Kochiites, some live, some over the T.V. It is a moment that will remain etched in our minds forever. I have always believed that life is all about moments, and this moment is one that I will keep tucked away, safely in my heart, all my life - that wait, that awe on seeing the Metro train for the first time, that pride of seeing my city join the ranks of a metro, the joy of witnessing one of the most defining moments in the history of my city, and the gratitude that filled my heart of being a native of the truly majestic and beautiful 'Queen of the Arabian Sea' - undoubtedly one of the best places to live in, not just in India, but the whole world. Love you Kochi for all that you are, and for all that you will be.
No comments:
Post a Comment