By Thomas Scaria
Kochi, September 12, 2019: Some 1,500 people in Kerala went hungry on September 11 when the southern Indian state celebrated its most popular festival Onam that ensures sumptuous meals are served to all.
They belong to 365 families living in five waterfront apartment complexes at Maradu, a suburb of Kochi, Kerala’s commercial capital, that face demolition under the orders from the Supreme Court of India for violating coastal zone regulations.
“We have been living here for nine years paying all taxes. How can we just pack up and go?” asks Deepa Jayakumar, a resident of the Holy Faith H2O Apartments, one of the five highrise buildings facing demolition.
She was among hundreds of residents of the five apartments, who on the Onam day staged a hunger strike in front of the Marad Municipality office.
On September 10, the Marad Municipal Corporation had served them eviction notices after the apex court rejected their appeal against demolition.
“We did not cook anything today,” Jayakumar told Matters India sitting at the strike site with her husband and two daughters with worried and frustrated looks.
Outside the strike venue, people were seen celebrating Onam with various games and festivities.
The residents say they have not violated any laws and their only mistake was to buy the flats and live there without knowing the legal implications.
“If there was any violation, the guilty are the builders and the government that gave all the necessary permits,” says Isaac Pattaniparambil, another resident of the Holy faith Apartments.
He said that families from all communities and five US citizens live in their apartment complex. He said several Christian leaders, including a metropolitan bishop, took part in the hunger strike and pledged support to apartment residents.
The Supreme Court has warned the Kerala government that it would face contempt of judiciary, if it fails to demolish the buildings before September 20.
The apartments, built some 10 years ago, are now fully occupied by film stars, business people, Non Resident Indians and common people.
Advocate Shamsuddin, the president of the residents’ association and a flat owner, said they bought the property as it had all legal status, including building number.
“The residents will not leave, and many have put in all their savings to buy these flats and they are at the verge of suicides,” he warned.
Justice Kamal Pasha, the former Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, said the Kerala government should compensate and rehabilitate the flat owners, if they want to demolish the buildings.
But environmentalists are concerned about the acute impact on ecology the debris the demolition will create.
“More than anything, it is a human rights violation,” said Jyothi Vas Paravoor, the district convener of the Welfare Party of India. While clarifying that he was not against implementing the Coastal Zone regulations, it has to be “at the right time to prevent such constructions, and not after all flats are being sold.”
Film director Blessey, who lives in the Holy Faith Flats, said the Supreme Court considered only the illegal status of the building, not that human beings living there. Soubin Shahir, an award winning movie star and a resident, said he was unaware of the legal violations as every documents were in order when he bought it.
Tom Jose, chief secretary of the Kerala government, who visited the flats on September 9, asked the municipal officers to evict the residents in five days and demolish the illegal flats. Meanwhile the Supreme Court has accepted a review petition on September 11.