Sullia: Chandrashekar Gowda who was living a self-imposed exile for 13 years in a forest, making his old Fiat car as his home has finally seen the light of the day. A regularisation committee headed by local MLA Angara has urged the district administration to consider allotting him a government land.
DC Ibrahim visited Gowda’s ‘home’ – An old Fiat car
Here is a complete timeline of events taking place in Gowda’s life.
Year 1999 – Shame
Chandrashekar Gowda borrowed a loan of Rs 27400 from a co-operative society which became a lakh of rupees with interest when he failed to pay the loan back after four years. His 2.29 acre land was auctioned by the co-operative bank in the year 2002 to recover the loan amount with interest. He was left only with his old fiat car as he landed on the streets of Sullia, with no place to hide!
More than 13 years in Solitude
With none coming to his rescue, he took his car deep into the forest and converted the same as his ‘residence’. He started knitting baskets made out of forest produce and sold them in the market to eke out a living. That is the only time he used to venture into the outside world before returning to his shell, the car his only asset. He covered his new property with temporary shield on top to ensure he can withstand the rain, mid day sun light and to protect himself from forest wild animal attacks. Trees, birds and water streams became his new friends! Life went on like this for many years. The man in jeans and t-shirt with a good personality looked like a rag picker as days went by. He lived in the ‘forest residence’ for more than 13 years like an epic hero near Bedrapane-Adthale, Aranthodu in Sullia taluk.
Ray of hope in Jan 2016
He lost contact with the external world and its people. He took every moment as it came in his life. Somehow his ruptured life got a Good Samaritan’s attention. The Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada , AB Ibrahim after going through his real life saga, rushed to his earthy abode in haste and assured him of restoring his life. The DC in a rare gesture called him to his office in Mangaluru and assured him a place of living and due medical attention. He was coaxed by district administration officials to accept the offer and start leading a normal life. But the man wanted to live in a strip of land which was dear to him for which he had submitted an application in the year 1998 under property regularisation scheme (Akrama-Sakrama). His cry was heard and the DC assured him to provide him the land in Nellur Kemraje, near to his place of living prior 1998.
Success in June 2016
His application submitted in 1998 came up for review a few years later. By that time his address given in the application had changed for reasons well known! His application dated 1998 was again placed before a regularisation committee recently headed by the present local MLA Angara. The committee after scrutiny has forwarded the same to district administration and asked them to allot the aggrieved applicant, a land of one acre at the earliest. According to revenue officials, the land rights and the associated documents will be handed over by the DC in person to the lone man who waged a silent battle for years.
Chandrashekar Gowda had appeared in many news columns and TV channels over the last few months after his plight was revealed to the world once he lived in!
With all obstacles removed, his well wishers are now awaiting for the moment when the district administration officially hands over the one acre land which is dear to him than anything else in the world, so that he could live on his own with his dignity restored back to normal!
