JALANDHAR ( IDUKKI ) : It may be hard to believe that the remote hamlet of Idukki was once a mini Punjab, where large number of workers from that state was employed by the Hindustan Construction Corporation to build the arch dam of Idukki. Three decades after the commissioning of the dam, it is impossible to find a single Punjabi living in the region, even as they have left behind their imprint with a region in Arakkulam panchayat being named after the famous Punjab town of Jalandhar.
Interestingly, Jalandhar ward which comes under Arakulam panchayat near Moolamattom power house in Idukki block panchayat, had no presence of Punjabis even in those days, 70-year-old Pappachan Valiyathazham told ‘Express’.
The name is believed to be given by V S Gopinathan Nair, a trade union leader, who was impressed by the skill and hard work of the Punjabi labourers from Jalandhar, Pappachan, a resident of Jalandhar, said.
Nair was mesmerised by the enthusiasm shown by the Punjabi workers during the construction of the arch dam when the availability of earthmovers and hydraulic machines was minimal.
Probably, it was in 1964 the work on the dam began. Since then, the Punjabi workers fought all odds to survive in the forest region of Idukki despite encountering number of hurdles for over a decade till 1976. Poor telecom facility in those days had sent some of them into depression, he said.
Nair was stationed at Moolamattom where the work on the underground power station was assigned to native contractors, who had preferred to engage workers from different parts of Kerala, Pappachan said. Nair used to tell other workers to emulate the Punjabi labourers.
Probably, he might have been impressed by the hard work of the people from Jalandhar during the construction of the dam near Cheruthony.
As he was a union leader, he had strong association with comrades in Punjab.
Jalandhar, which is the sixth ward in Arakulam panchayat under Idukki block panchayat, was earlier called Moolamattom.
There is no plan to change name of the ward as people should remember the contribution of Punjabis in the setting up of the dam, Rajashekharan Raman, a ward member, said.
