Tribal students’ first date with airport, beach
The Hindu
They watched in awe flights land and take off at the airport
A group of students from various tribal hamlets in and around Nilambur had a once-in-a-lifetime experience when they took out an excursion to the Calicut airport and Kozhikode city on Friday. The 130 tribal students from 26 hamlets spread between Edakkara and Karuvarakkundu were on cloud nine as they watched in awe flights land and take off at the airport.
Most of them saw the airport for the first time and experienced the joy of watching flights take off and land. Their joy doubled when they landed at Kozhikode beach after an awesome experience at the Regional Science Centre and Planetarium in the city.
Thanks to the Jan Sikshan Sansthan (JSS) headed by its chairman P.V. Abdul Wahab, MP, most of the tribal students had their first beach experience in life. Mr. Wahab flagged off their picnic at GUP School, Chandakkunnu, where they had their breakfast. Most of them ate ‘noolputtu’ and ‘appam’ for the first time in life as most tribal communities, particularly the Kattunaikar, Paniyar and Alar tribes, do not have the habit of eating in the morning.
The airport authorities led by Sunitha Varghese warmly welcomed the students who arrived in three buses, and offered them cool drinks and milk peda. Mr. Wahab too accompanied them to the airport and took them around.
From the visitors’ gallery they watched a couple of flights land and take off as Ms. Sunitha and team explained to them the working of the airport.
“You could see the airport and flights now. I will take you on a flight if you win A-plus in all subjects,” said Mr. Wahab, offering them one of the biggest motivations of their life.
No sooner had the MP completed his sentence than a girl raised her hand and said: “Sir, are you serious? Then I am ready to take up this challenge.” The firm words of Gopika N. from Nallanthanni tribal hamlet in Nilambur municipality had an infectious effect among her friends as some of them whispered to themselves that they would get full A-plus for higher secondary.
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