Tattamangalam and the 85-Year Wait: A Forgotten Promise in Our Legislative History

Tattamangalam and the 85-Year Wait: A Forgotten Promise in Our Legislative History

Most people don’t know this, but Tattamangalam has a long and recorded history inside the Cochin Legislative Council.
Long before independence, our village was discussed, debated and questioned in the Assembly for matters of public administration.
And one issue keeps appearing again and again — policing and public safety.

A Look Back: 1940–41 Legislative Council Proceedings

The name T. S. Ramachandra Ayyar, the MLA representing Chittur–Tattamangalam, appears repeatedly in the Council records of 1940 and 1941.
He was not talking about big political drama or party fights.
He was asking basic, essential questions for the people of Tattamangalam:

• Why did the Government acquire land in Tattamangalam for police lines and then leave it idle?

• When will the Government construct proper police lines here?

• How many constables are posted in Chittur and in Tattamangalam?

• Does Tattamangalam have a police outpost at all?

The replies from the Police Commissioner, Rao Bahadur M. Narayana Menon, are painfully straightforward.

In the 1 April 1941 proceedings, the Government admits:

“There is no police line attached to the out-post at Tattamangalam.”

Even back then, the MLA knew this was unacceptable.
He pushed the Government again and again, asking if the matter could be included in the next year’s budget.
The answer was a plain No.

Eighty-Five Years Later… What Has Changed?

The sad truth is — not much.
Even after 85 years, Tattamangalam still does not have:

• a full-fledged police station,

• a police outpost with proper facilities,

• or a visible police presence in public spaces.

Tattamangalam has grown. The population has grown.
Traffic has grown. Commercial activity has grown.
But our policing infrastructure has simply not kept up.

Police Should Be Among the People, Not Hidden in a Building

Even if a station is constructed tomorrow, real safety comes only when police are present in public places, not sitting inside a room.

A proper policing system means:

• officers seen on our main junctions and roads,

• traffic being managed with sense and responsibility,

• quick assistance for ordinary citizens,

• and wrong-doers being stopped before they cause harm.

This is not a wish-list. This is the most basic requirement for any developing town.

A History That Demands Accountability

When we look at these old documents, one thing becomes very clear.
Tattamangalam was not ignored in the past — our leaders demanded answers, questioned the Government and recorded the needs of the people inside the Assembly itself.

Today’s reality is different.
We still face the same problems, but with far less political will to fix them.

History is not just something to read and forget.
It is a reminder of promises made, questions raised, and responsibilities ignored.

Tattamangalam Deserves Better — Not Tomorrow, But Now

Eighty-five years is too long for any community to wait for basic public safety infrastructure.
We are not asking for special treatment.
We are asking for what was recognised as necessary in 1940 itself.

If our village mattered enough to be discussed in the Legislature then, it certainly matters today.

Tattamangalam deserves visible policing, proper facilities and an administration that responds to the needs of the people — not another decade of excuses.

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