Bhubaneswar
was growing then. She is still growing up. She was extending her limits. From being
just a planned capital city of a neglected, unexplored, underdeveloped state, it
was emerging into a business hot spot, an education hub, an IT corridor and a
center for super specialty hospitals. This resulted in the inflow of swarm of
people with vivid interests into the town. Some came here for business, some
for their jobs and some for education.
So she had to extend her boundaries to accommodate everyone who landed
up here. She has always been an affectionate mother.
The
requirement for land led people to reach the inaccessible areas. The opening of
two big private universities along with other institutions at the two corners
of the city led to the mega turnout of those areas in particular. The
institutes that welcomed thousands of students every year made those areas the
new face of the city. Those areas which were considered as the most remote
sites at some point of time turned out to be the favorite location of business
for many. Thus, market complexes, lavishing hotels, places of amusements,
corporate hospitals, etc sprung up in those areas rapidly.
And with all
these developments, what went sky high was the price of those lands. And with
this the operations of land mafias became prevalent. People were duped, looted
and tortured for land. While many were dusted to ground and lost their dreams,
land mafias and their associates became millionaire overnight. From snake
charmers who used to catch snakes in the forest covered areas and amuse people
in the city, they grew up suddenly to become millionaire who drove Audi, Jaguar
and what not. And this is not the story
of Land mafias alone. It’s the symbiotic relationship of the entire system that
nurtured them.
Let me tell
you the story that occurs behind the veil when Bhubaneswar is growing up, a
story that is no different from the stories of many unfortunates from other developing
cities throughout this country…
Mr. Ramakant
sahu is a class 2 government employee who stayed in a Government allotted
quarter in Bhubaneswar. It was in 90’s when the concept of, “Builder and land development
societies” had just reached the city.
The dream of
having an own house sparkles in every eye. Rich or poor, everyone wants a place
which they can claim to be their own. With such a dream nourished from years in
his soul, Ramkant bought a land from such a society. He drew all his savings
but failed to buy a plot in the centre of the city. It was that period when
Bhubaneswar was just a new bird. It was yet to stretch out her wings. So, he
decided to buy a plot from the undeveloped corner of the city which just fell
into his budget. So ultimately in the year of 1993, Ramakant finished all the
paper works and got the land registered to his name. Young Ramakant celebrated
the day with his wife and his boy.
In few years
they welcomed a girl child to their family. With time the burden on his
shoulders increased. The expenditures on family increased. Nourishing the
family, educating his kids, fulfilling their wishes, responsibilities towards the relatives, medicines of old aging parents, loan installments, everything just
squeezed him up. He had forgotten when last he had bought a pair of new
clothes for himself and for his beloved wife. He had forgotten when last he had
tasted some food outside. He starved in his lunch hours, wore the same old
clothes again and again to save some money. But still he failed to build a
house at the plot he had purchased. All he could succeed in making was a
boundary wall and an outhouse in his land.
Every Sunday
he used to paddle kilometers carrying his boy on his Hero cycle to see his plot.
He would show the land to his son happily that it belongs to them and someday
they will build a house there. His son would look his father with pride and
admiration.
Years after,
the face of those areas completely changed. Those undeveloped areas changed into the most expensive area of the city.
After several
years also, Ramakant had not left his routine exercise of cycling to visit his
land miles away. With growing age, his bones became fragile, but his
spirit was still high. He still nurtured the dream of building his
own house.
Like every
weekend, that weekend also he visited his plot. It was always his patch of land that remained
empty. But this time he failed to find his empty patch of land. Instead he saw
construction work going on there. Four pillars stood on his land inside the boundary
wall. Few laborers were busy in sand filling where as few others were spraying
water on the newly made concrete pillar.
He stood bedazzled.
After
regaining his sense, he rushed into the construction area. Afraid, he asked the
laborers, supervisors, everyone there about the construction work. None had any
answer. All that they said was that they were only hired to work there. He fell
down.
Few minutes
later he regained some energy and started obstructing the workers from carrying
out any work. They stopped too. By then the supervisor had called up the person
who has employed them there. With in no time, a dark, obese man with
thick golden chain hung down his neck that oscillated to and fro as he walked
towards Ramakant arrived in the construction site. The moment he arrived there, he lit a cigarette and shouted
at Ramakant for stopping the work. Words accompanied by puffs of smoke rained out of his mouth. The words that he used were tearing up Ramakant’s drums. They
were intolerable.
Before he
could have said anything, the dark fat man ordered his workers to throw
Ramakant out of the property. Thus, MR. Ramakant was thrown out of his own land
and was warned not to enter it ever. He was even said by the fat man that it
was Ramakant’s mistake for keeping the land empty for so long and now that he
has captured it, Ramkant is not going to get it back.
Trembling
out of fear of losing his only property, Ramakant cycled to the local Police
station with all his papers. Police said him that they cannot help him as it is
a civil case. They advised him to file a civil case.
He filed a
civil case. This entitled him to take the help of the nearby police station to
drive away the illegal encroachment. But the local police fooled him again and
again for their personal profit. So, when he realized this he approached the
highest authority of the police department. But unfortunately he was so less
important that he failed to even draw their attention towards his plea. He then
tried to contact the media houses. But no one does anything for free.
Everything comes with a price tag and he was not able to afford that amount.
Thus,
Ramakant’s case became a part of those thousand of pending cases in the court.
Dates after dates rolled on. Months changed to years. The sorrow of losing his
only property and the huge fees of his lawyer fastened his aging process. He
looked atleast ten years older than his age. His hairs turned white. His fair
skin turned dark getting tanned in the sun. He became leaner with sunken cheeks
resembling an old man suffering from malnutrition. All he could get in these
years was false hope but not the judgment that he was actually looking for.
Meanwhile,
the illegal encroacher finished building a swanky house in Ramakant’s land and
put it in rent.
one weekend his son forced to accompany him
who had just returned finishing his studies after years. Ramakant had not
disclosed this to his son earlier when he was studying. He didn’t want
anything to hamper his studies. Moreover, he didn’t want to feel timid infront
of his son. He didn’t want his son to lose the respect and the pride that he
carried for his father. He was afraid of humiliation.
His son
looked at him with pride. The respect for his father increased many folds after
he learned about his fight. He hugged his father, kissed his cheeks. Ramakant
had turned cold. He looked deep into his father’s eyes. Ramakant was still
avoiding an eye contact. His son said, “Papa you have grown me up well,
educated me. Now it is my turn. I know lots of memories of
yours are associated with this piece of land. I cannot get back this plot for
you but I promise I will earn enough to buy a land ten times bigger than this. I
promise you that you will build your own house exactly the way you have always
dreamed off.” Tears rolled down Ramakant’s eyes. He hugged his son tight and
both of them returned back.
Bhubaneswar
is turning into a nouveau riche city with different grades of people competing
for wealth and power. Both wealth and power breeds prosperity as well as crime.
So crime of various faces is growing up in this city recently behind the veil when we are busy in celebrations of the acceptance of Bhubaneswar as a smart city. Bhubaneswar is
an adolescent, immature, vigorous and energetic city. It is very important to
keep it away from developing the ugly warts.
Long live my love, the beautiful city, Bhubaneswar.
