Kochi: Losing a house built with one's lifetime savings could be painful, especially after being accused of violating the law.
Jiji, a teacher in Kuwait, is among the hundreds facing this situation at Maradu in Kochi. In fact, history was in a way repeating itself for Jiji, owner of a flat in Holy Faith H2O apartment. It is one of the four flat complexes to be razed based on a Supreme Court order.
Her elder sister Annie had left everything behind in Kuwait 28 years ago during the Gulf War to save her life. The only difference was that while Annie lost everything in Kuwait and fled to Kerala, Jiji came to her native land from a Gulf country to salvage whatever she could from her house.
“I now feel Annie's pain,” says Jiji.
When Jiji informed her colleagues in Kuwait about the demolition, they were surprised. “Nobody could believe that such incidents could take place in India. For my colleagues from other countries, India was a model,” she says.
Jiji reached Kochi from Kuwait along with her children as soon as she heard that demolition was inevitable. She is now moving her belongings to her sister’s house in Aluva. “We have lived in our house only for a short period. We did not even use the appliances we had bought for the flat,” she explains her plight. Now Jiji wonders whether she would be able to build another house and use the gadgets.
Several others face the same situation. Many NRIs have rushed to Kochi from their workplaces abroad on emergency leave to shift their belongings from the apartments. Some are yet to find a suitable place to move. Still others are selling their possessions at throwaway prices. Certain residents are spending sleepless nights packing. Washbasins and even closets are not left behind by some owners.
The Holy Faith apartment block was the main venue of protests staged by the residents of the four Maradu flats ordered to be razed. They had done all they could do legally to resist eviction but finally yielded and started moving their belongings. Most apartment owners had spent lakhs on interior work and could not control their emotions while removing those furnishings. “Even our request for a few days’ extension of the deadline to shift was rejected,” they said woefully.
Retired IRS officer blames lying govt, bureaucrats
Suresh Joseph, a retired IRS officer who was also the General Manager of DP World, owns a flat on the 14th floor of Alfa Serene apartments
Suresh has described his plight in a Facebook post in which he blames a lying government, a bureaucracy that lacks determination, treacherous builders and an inflexible legal system for the Maradu situation. “Today I am leaving my home forever. The view from my balcony and the photos clicked from there will never appear before me again. I lived in this house for 10 years without being aware of the violations of the law. But one fine day I became a law breaker. My life has come to a standstill after the Supreme Court verdict,” he says.
After the directive from the authorities, Suresh is shifting to a rented house in Kochi. “I managed to get a rented accommodation after much pleading,” says the former IRS officer.
“A house bought with money saved by hard work is being taken away. I feel cheated and I've become a refugee in my own land,” he points out.
“The basic tenet of democracy is dissemination of natural justice. When the administration and the legal system, which are pillars of a democracy, deny this to the citizen, it is nothing but cruelty,” continues Suresh.
The IRS officer had come to Kochi after taking voluntary retirement to become the head of Vallarpadom container terminal project in 2005. Though he had to face some minor hiccups initially, Suresh had a pleasant stay with his family in the city for around 10 years.
However, everything turned upside down after the Supreme Court order on May 8, 2019.
Suresh also wonders why the flat owners at Maradu are being blamed for the floods of 2018 by the Supreme Court. “The real facts were concealed by the inefficient politicians and cold bureaucracy. In reality, the water level in front of Alfa Serene did not rise more than 10 cm during the floods of 2018 as well as 2019,” he says.
Leaving the nest you had built to spend the evening of your life is frightening, adds Suresh. “Kerala has sentenced me to live in rented homes on the goodwill of others,” he added.
On May 8, 2019, the SC had ordered the demolition of four flat complexes at Maradu in Kerala's Ernakulam district for violating Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ) norms. The apex court also called for the demolition to be carried out within 138 days and asked the state government to pay an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to each flat owners.
