This would explain the journey of sixty one year oldSukumaran Menon K, a former BEML (Bharat Earth Movers Limited Bharat EarthMovers Limited) employee (he was a senior draftsman) over the last one year andten months. After running pillar to post and getting entangled in abattle over the 'illegal' acquisition of his land, this man has taken the routeof Satyagraha.
Menon started his protest, what he calls 'SamadhaanaUpavasa Satyagraha' near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on March 23, 2011. Comerain or shine, he religiously comes to the venue in the morning and leaves atdusk. Since no protests are allowed inside the park housing the MGstatue, he sits on the footpath all day long though he admits that when it getstoo tiring he rests on the park bench. "I sit on the footpath and attimes beggars sit along. I can't ask them to go away since it is publicproperty.” He has five demands from the government of which one is to gethis land back and the rest he claims is to ‘safeguard our country’.
Anative of Kerala, he came to Bangalore in 1969. Narrating his tale, hetells us that how after working for forty years with BEML, he purchased 1. 75acres of land at the 16th kilometre of Hosur Main Road in 1993 and built ahouse which took over three years to complete. Then started thenightmares for Menon and his wife and two sons.
“Karnataka IndustrialAreas Development Board had earmarked my land for acquisition as part of theBangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project. Though the acquisitionprocess started in 1996 itself, I did not get a single notice until 2004. Andwhen I finally got it, I got three at once. In fact, they acquired myland without any intimation in 1998 itself. The landlord asked us toleave within six months of me purchasing the land. He was not evenwilling to pay the advance money back. And over the years they destroyedmy house thrice. I filed a case in the court and got a status quo afterwhich the landlord held back. In the process, he made our lives hell sothat we vacate the house on our own. But we stood our ground andcontinued staying there,” says he.
Menon tells that they spent almostfour years in knee-deep water, as their landlord diverted water to his compoundand blocked all entry points. And finally in 2008, his house was immersedin water and he was forced to vacate. According to the RTI filed byMenon, he claims that the initial blueprint mentions that the land at the 17thkilometre was to be acquired, which even the court pointed out later (his landis on the 16th kilometre). But the damage was already done. He iscertain of foul play and says that the RTI clearly states the 17th kilometrebelonged to a wellknown owner of a Bangalorebased IT conglomerate who alongwith other MNCs operating in the area paid a huge kickback to seven ministersfollowing which he became the scapegoat. “I also filed 13 policecomplaints against my landlord and the KIADB officials, but no action has beentaken by the police, because they are all hand in glove. I also sent 150registered letters to the Central government, state governments throughout thecountry including Sonia Gandhi, but the only man who bothered to reply was ourformer president APJ Abdul Kalam. He asked the Chief Secretary to lookinto my case, but nothing was done later,” Menon said. When asked if hewill be fine with compensation, he assertively replies, “I want my land back atany cost, not any compensation. No money can replace the trauma my familyand I went through.” He hopes to build a world class animation studiosomeday on the land besides his house and he says that he got this idea fromhis artist son. His day starts at 3:30 in the morning which is followedby yoga, prayers and his breakfast consisting oats and milk. Once heleaves home at 6:30 am, he is back only by 9pm which is again followed by alight meal. About concerns relating to health at this age, he says, “Myfamily doctor is upset with me for not having even a drop of water during mostpart of the day.”
He laments that not a single politician or a publicfigure ever visited him during the course of his protest, but he is stillhopeful that his efforts will bear fruit.