I was born in a small village in Kerala called Kidangannoor which falls in the Aranmula panchayat. News is that an international airport is coming up at Aranmula which has been going through various environment clearances and opposition from certain lobbies. The good tiding is that the Kerala government is investing in ten per cent of the equity of the new airport.
Why I welcome Aranmula airport? My chief argument (for which many may call me a traitor and an opportunist) is that I will be able to reach home faster. There was time when, in my childhood, that is, to reach home it took four full days by various modes of transport (coal-driven trains, buses, taxis, walking-on-feet), and by the end of it I was dead tired. Today it takes two days to reach my village from Bombay, that too, after spending a lot of money en route.
Another thing is that it will bring some modernity to this rural village. I, as a city dweller, I expect some basic necessities to be available in my home town, which wasn't there till now. Basic things like noodles, a packet of biscuit, a refill for the pen, etc. Having to go five kilometres to fetch these is a tiring task and takes the whole day.
The downside could be that there will be the roar of jet engine, as the runway is situated close to my house. But I think I can live with that.
The Aranmula International Airport intends to be functional by 2014. Hope it brings cheers to those who hail from this area.
John is @johnwriter on Twitter and John.Matthew on Facebook. He blogs here. His Youtube Channel Page. His novel Mr. Bandookwala, M.B.A., Harvard.
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