Across the Bridges

Supriya told me half gushing with pride, “About 12 cabinet ministers are coming, and the Chief Minister himself will be present to inaugurate!”

And later Ajay asked me, “Ma’am will you be coming for the inaugural function on Saturday?”

So I thought aloud, “What is all the hype about?”

It was in a rather emotional tone that Supriya and the History teacher together told me the story about the now famous, Mayannur Bridge.

It all started during the post independence time, when the people of Palakkad district wanted a link way to the district of Thrissur. These two districts are cut by Bharathapuzha, the river that stretches across the Palakkad district. While it took millions of strikes and hartals to finally establish the foundation of the bridge in 1997, the bridge itself got fully constructed in 2011, and its inauguration was the talk of the town!

“They have erected tents and pandals on the dry river bed!” said Supriya. “There’s going to be a procession and also concerts and dance programs.”

“People just want a reason to celebrate”, I scorned.

“No, it’s much more than that”, started Supriya. “When my father dropped me in the small village of Mayannur to do my graduation in a college at Ottapalam, each day I had to cross the river to go to the other side. The local ferry though helpful and time saving, was no more than an inconvenience as most of the passengers get in and out wet as the umbrellas they were holding. At times when the river bed is almost dry for the boats to ferry around, we had to walk. We had to then walk in places with chest deep water. Can you imagine going to college in wet clothes?”

“The bridge is a big thing madam”, she sighed with hint of joy.

I was engrossed in the imagination of past times and dreamily smiled at her saying, “I would like to go across the bridge once.”

She invited me to her house adding, “Now when people of Mayannur village come to shop at Ottapalam, the shopkeeper tells them that they are related, for now they go across the bridge!”

As the hopes for a quick development hovers around the small town of Mayannur, and the property investor tighten their belts, I wonder…

Is the bridge strong enough to hold on to the future changes?