TMS and Thrissur.

The Thrissur motor show or the TMS as it is popularly known, means a great deal to the students and staff of the Mechanical department of Govt Engg College Thrissur. But the most striking aspect of the event, which separates it from other numerous departmental events, is what it means to the city as a whole. Thrissur not only lent its name to the Motor Show but also showed no hesitation in accepting it as a part of the proud and the rich tradition that this city boasts of. The TMS is now as familiar to the people of Thrissur as is the Pooram and the exhibition that comes with it.
Most kids who grew up in and around Thrissur will have the Motor Show firmly imbedded in their psyche, as at least one of the previous six editions of the Motor show will have left a mark on their minds. Bike and Car enthusiasts, who are not scarce in Thrissur, look forward to it with eager anticipation and for the various small businessmen, this represents an exciting business opportunity, a chance to put themselves on the map. And as for the college as a whole, it is an yearly reminder to the city that Thrissur is not all about the Pooram, an opportunity to raise its profile. But none of this compares to what it means to the various school kids in and across the city.
I remember my first Motor Show and I wasn't anywhere near GEC back then. We were 14 or so, and were beginning to face the first instances of the pre-boards mass hysteria, with it being drilled in to our minds every day that an excellent performance in the boards was necessary for our continued survival on this planet. Simply put, we were under a lot of pressure, so the Motor Show came as a welcome break from all that. Back then, we were oblivious to the technical aspects of it and it was just another opportunity to have some fun.
My second Motor Show was the beginning of a trait that has come to define my entire college life. A group of us bunked one of those monotonously boring PC classes to come to the Swaraj round where it was being held, and spent more than an hour in the tent. This time it was a lot different as it opened up new avenues of interest for a group of us. I remember thinking that it was a whole lot larger than the first one. The Thrissur Motor Show had grown up with us.
Even while I was busy listening to those tip top college students telling us about things, I never had even the slightest hope that my third Motor Show was going to be, not as spectator, but as a participant. It was the third day of our college lives and it was the mother of all mass bunks, the one that began it all. We ran in to a load of trouble but that was the event that began our collective fascination with this college and everything that is associated with it. A relationship that began like that was never going to fade.
So what is it, that make the TMS so special? What is it that allowed it to creep in to the hearts of the people here and in to the childhood memories of their kids? Maybe it is the subject, as cars and bike are much more fascinating than electrical wires and buildings. Maybe it is the fact that Mechanical engineering students are more fun to hang out with, as the kids waiting to break out of school, naturally rate the ones who talk about booze and bunks over the ones who'll give you a lecture about how important it is to clear all your first sem papers at once. Maybe it is the fact that we keep it simple, nobody has to look it up in a dictionary to understand what the 'Thrissur Motor Show' is all about, while the same cannot be said about Quintessence or Resonance or whatever they call their setups these days. Whatever it is, it is not something to lie back and marvel upon. The TMS clearly offers enormous potential for innovation and improvisation and we'd be betraying everything that we stand for to not take it. Lets hope we continue to not let ourselves and this city down for years to come.