'Lazy buggers! As our leader so aptly said, the number of people in our country eking out their living by organizing protests and agitations is going up every day. Okay. Tell them that their leader alone can come and meet me. If the food he has eaten will get digested, only after stomaching strong words from me, so be it!" said Chelliah.
Five villagers, including a woman, entered Chelliah's cabin, along with a visibly worried and panicked Jiva.
"I said that only one person should meet me. Why are you coming as a group?" Chelliah yelled at them, even while casting a glowering look at Jiva.
"The entire village has been affected. It will not be appropriate if only one person meets you. In fact, every one in the village wants to meet you and convey their feelings to you. We restrained them and limited our delegation to five people" said one of the villagers.
"What do you people want?" asked Chelliah, his anger still not subsiding.
"You dug a canal from the river for supplying water for your factory. We have been protesting against it already. Now, you have raised a wall blocking the path to the river from our village. How are we to access the river?"
"Why do you have to go to the river? You have a pond in the middle of your village."
"We have been using the river for our irrigation as well as for our personal needs like drinking, bathing, washing the clothes etc. Because of the wall constructed by you, we have to walk five miles to reach the river, using a circuitous route. You have set up your factory on the outskirts of our village and blocked our access to the river. Is this not unjust?"
"Our factory needs a lot of water for processing. We set up this factory at this place, only because we could get ample water from the river flowing here. While seeking government approval for our project, we have mentioned that we will be using the river water for our production and other needs. The government gave approval for our project, knowing fully well that we would be using the river water. We have the full backing of the government. Once we start production, we will let out the effluent water into the river. After that, you won't be able to use the river water. You have a pond in your village. If that water is not sufficient, you can dig wells. Don't come to me again. If you need funds for some temple festival or some such function, you may approach our Office Manager and he will give you a couple of thousand rupees as donation. Don't try to meet me again and waste my time" said Chelliah, nonchalantly.
"You have no consideration or empathy for other people. You have no humanitarian feelings. Having abrogated our rights, you speak to us so arrogantly, as if we have sought some favour from you. Your arrogance comes from your wealth and money power. Your wealth and power will be destroyed. We will be witnessing it soon" said the lone woman in the group, her face flesh with indignation.
"Jiva! Where have you gone? Call the security people and ask them to evict these people" shouted Chelliah.
The villagers launched an agitation demanding that the wall be demolished. They also filed a case in the court. The trial court and the High Court delivered a judgement favouring the company.
The government was also on the side of the factory. "If people keep agitating about every issue, no industry can function and there will be no development in the country" remarked a minister.
In the election held after two years, another political party came to power. The new government issued an order that the wall blocking the path to the river from the village should be demolished. When the company approached the courts against the government order, the courts refused to stay the government order. Consequently, the wall was demolished.
Since Chelliah defaulted in the repayment of loans taken by him for his other businesses, the banks that had lent the money to his firms took steps to confiscate his properties.
Suspecting that Chelliah would try to flee the country, the government acted quickly and impounded his passport.
Like the fall of one card from a pack of cards stacked together triggering a cascading effect, all the enterprises of Chelliah began to fail in quick sequence. His bank account was frozen.
There were reports in the media that Chelliah would be arrested soon and that considering the severity of the charges against him, he won't be able to secure a bail at least for some time to come.
nIdinRi AngE kedum.
Verse 565
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