Mele Chovva is notorious in Kannur for the traffic snarls. Still drivers heave a sigh of relief when they spot Madhavan in uniform. Rain or shine, Madhavan relentlessly work to untangle the block on the roads.Kannur: Army captain-turned-home guard T.V. Madhavan was a permanent fixture in Kannur town. Not anymore. The veteran has called it quits with a heavy heart after a top cop’s relatives publicly humiliated him while on duty.
Madhavan, or Madhavettan as he is lovingly called, is a savior for the daily commuters. His sincerity and smartness make him indispensable in traffic management. Traffic snarls are a rarity when he is on duty. And the man seldom goes on leave.
The tireless worker, however, could not stand the mistreatment by the influential violators.
"I was regulating traffic at Mele Chovva a week ago. A traffic block was forming when a car rushed along the wrong side of the road. I had stopped the other vehicles to let the traffic move on the other side. I told the violators that they could not pass on the wrong side.
"The passengers in the car got irritated. They told me they had connections in the police and they would show me who they were. They dropped names and abused me in full public view before speeding away on the wrong side.
"I went with a complaint to the officer whose name they had dropped but it was in vain. I was not put on duty at that place again. I am fed up. I do not plan to renew my contract. I retired from the army as an honorary captain. I work as a home guard to serve rather than earn. Kannur is chock a block in the mornings and evenings. I was doing my bit to lessen the load."
Mele Chovva is notorious in Kannur for the traffic snarls. Still drivers heave a sigh of relief when they spot Madhavan in uniform. Rain or shine, Madhavan relentlessly work to untangle the block on the roads.
He started working as a home guard eight years ago, after a 28-year stint with the army. He lives near Thaliparambu.
