Kochi: For the crowd gathered to watch the demolition of the four apartment complexes in Maradu municipality on Saturday and Sunday, the prevailing mood was that of celebration. Many of them cheered and tried to record videos as the high rises touched ground in seconds through controlled implosion. Amid the euphoria, some people stood silent, burdened with memories – sweet and sour. For them what was reduced to a heap of rubble was their homes.
For the people who were evicted from the four flat complexes following the Supreme Court order to demolish them, the implosion was a depressing scene that they couldn't withstand. Most of them made it a point not to turn up to watch the demolition while some couldn't resist the feeling to have a final look at the buildings wherein they spent a good amount of time.
“I had decided not to come here to see the demolition. But this morning, I had a sudden urge to come here,” said Linulal who owned a flat in the Jain Coral Cove at Nettoor which was demolished at 11 am on Sunday. Linulal is a drummer who became popular through TV reality shows. He bought the flat in 2011 and lived there for six years since 2013. The major reason for him to buy the flat was that his son's school was nearby.
Linu remembered that the flat had a calm and serene ambience.
“More than its monetary value, a home has some personal values. As I'm a musician, I had set up a soundproof acoustic facility in the flat. It was our dreams that came crashing,” he said.
Linu added that he would never have bought the flat if he was aware of the legal issues. “Many people ask us if we were aware of the legal issues. We are common people and were unaware of the issues. There were even lawyers practising in Supreme Court among those who owned flats in the complexes,” he said.
Linu was visibly agitated over the rampant corruption by the officials that caused the problems. “I don't think anything will change here with the demolition of the four flats,” he said. He said he would not buy another flat in Kochi.
Linu had to take home (a rented house near Maradu) his wife Hafza after she got emotional seeing the flat being razed.
A group of men who owned flats in Holy Faith H2O at Kundannoor, which was demolished first on Saturday, had gathered at a hotel at Kannadikadu near Kundannoor when the demolition was under way. There they spent the time recollecting their memories of their apartments.
Filmmaker Major Ravi, who was among the group, remembered shooting the first scene of his Mohanlal film Karmayodha on the terrace of H2O. He hugged Jayakumar Vallikavu, another person who had owned an apartment in Holy Faith H2O, as the latter sobbed seeing the buildings crashing down.
Apart from them, Beyoj Chennattu, Arun Madhusoodanan, Benoj, Benoj's wife Sandhya and daughter Adwaitha were at the hotel. All of them were at the forefront of the protests and the legal actions to save their homes, which went in vain.
Minutes before the blast at Jain Coral Cove, a young woman was seen sobbing in front of a policeman as she shared with him the memories of owning a flat in the building. Later, as she was walking back after the demolition, this correspondent tried to speak to her. Asked if she had a flat in the building, she said, “No”. She had nothing else to say.
