A grand take off from 'Cobra Land'

Finally, the Kannur International Airport is on track. The photographs, news and every bit of information regarding this airport take me down the lane.

Over 26 years ago, the hums and roars of aeroplane was a most exciting sound for a six year old girl. Every time an aeroplane passed in the sky over our small village I would jump out of the house to get a glimpse of the aeroplane. My eyes would follow the white dot in the sky until it vanished completely from the sight. Some days the naughty clouds used to steal my happiness.

I still remember my first visit to Moorkhan paramba. I was accompanying my elder brothers to pluck ‘Kattu chethi’, a kind of herb, for preparing medicines. It was my first trekking experience too as a seven year old. The sloppy terrain filled with dried leaves and mysterious plants are no more there. The whole area has become part of the airport.   The walkways which led us to the Moorkhan Paramba, a hilly terrain with cashew plants, laterite quarries and vacant lands, have also become part of the Kannur Airport.

I remember a couple more visits to Moorkhan paramba. My second visit to the place was also with my brothers but it was not for collecting medicinal plants but to buy chicken. Oh yes, the hill top, once housed a few poultry farms. We would visit the place and purchase fresh chicken.

The first mention about Kannur airport came a few years later and it was an exciting moment for all of us. We knew nothing about the complications and were excited that an airport would come in our neighbourhood.

Later in 2007-08, I visited the place again. But this time the visit was for preparing a college assignment during my post-graduation. I also remember taking a few photographs using the digital camera from the college as camera phones and digital cameras were not so common on those days.

Years have passed and that six year old is now mother of a six year old boy for whom aeroplane is just another mode of transport. Like the changes in the girl, my village and surroundings also changed and the tile thatched roof of the house is now a concrete would now be able to get a clear view of the aeroplane from the terrace of the same old house. The farm land where we used to cultivate vegetable, coconut, pepper and other crops is now bordering the airport.

By KMS, Mattannur