Cantonment Diary

If anyone were to ask me where I like to spend my free time in Kannur, I have only one answer and that is the Cannanore Cantonment area. Over the years many of my evenings were spent at the tranquil shores of Baby Beach , Payyambalam Beach and light house walkway enjoying the silence of the breeze watching the horizon merging with the sea as the sun swirls down .

Cannanore Cantonment is the only cantonment in Kerala and is one out of the 62 in India. It houses the barracks of defense security corps and the 122 infantry battalion of the Territorial Army. Some of the areas are not accessible to the general public due to military and security reasons ,but memories of visiting the serene ‘old baby beach’ in the protected area many years back with my parents is still etched in my mind. Driving through the Wellesley road in Burnassery( formerly Burnshire) gives an elated feeling with its lush green and clean surroundings and colonial buildings interlaced with modern bungalows on either side.
Cannanore Cantonment is the home to many reputed schools in Kannur. The history of its educational institutions dates back to 1840 when Basal Mission started the school (BEMP School) at Burnassery. The 19th century schools in the cantonment namely St Micheals and St Teresa’s are a hallmark in education even today. The Anglo Indian community settled in the cantonment shaped the future of many in those institutions.

The lamp post with a platform “Vilakkumthara” at Prabath junction built in commemoration of coronation of King George in 1911 soon became a
platform for anti imperialist movement . The leaders of the freedom struggle including C. Rajagopalachari and Rajendra Prasad have addressed the people from this tiny platform and major movements in the independence struggle were flagged off from here. The canons in St Angelo fort, The English church, Ammunition building, Common Wealth war cemetery all stand as a testimony and reminder of the reign of European powers on our shores.
One of the greatest losses for the Kannurites is the transformation of the famous play grounds in the cantonment area into walled buildings. The Kota Maidan was a home ground for many football and cricket clubs of yore. Cricketing greats like ML Jaisimha , K Srikanth and Syed Kirmani have played in the picturesque Kota Maidan. Many footballers of the yesteryears learned and tuned their skills in this ground before they adorned national jerseys. Manual Fredericks, the only Keralite with an Olympic medal in hockey was born and brought up in the Canttonment.

As I write this , my mind takes me to one of those schools days at St Micheals when a lone helicopter landed on the helipad in Kota Maidan and the boys running towards it during the lunch break to have a close look of the chopper..