M90 Issues – Inviting MIG owners

Mani’s idea made immediate and practical sense: Indian democracy does not always work as per the rule book but the corrupt system is amenable to mob pressure. I drafted a letter in ten minutes which essentially said: I am Sathyanarayanan, who has been staying in M90/4 since 1989.  Last year a greedy and corrupt doctor opened SYNAPSE clinic in my building without my permission with these violations for DAYLIGHT robbery:

- 40 ft private gate,

- Private industrial generator,

- 30 ft signage

All these building violations have resulted in stray dogs and strangers into the building, compromising safety and hygiene.

The invitation continued: As you might all know M93 went first and we are second at M90, tomorrow it will your turn when Apollo Hospital consultants with nexus to politicians will invade your building with evil intentions and profit motives. So please support me and we will put the corrupt people in their places. Please make yourself available at M90 on 29^th July at 4:00 pm for MIG flat owners meeting.

            I went to Student Xerox with a pen-drive and got 20 copies of this message in A4 in simple plain white paper – no fancy, no frills,

            I gave the first invitation to Suloch, at M90/2 and he felt the message was apt, crisp and persuasive.

Action @ M105:

            I went to M105 which is a MIG block right behind M90. I have not gone knocking on stranger’s doors since my summer training for MBA in 1991 and later John Kuruvilla made me run with questionnaires to the watch dealers in Bangalore in 1994 in the Contract advertising phase – so you could I see that I am not comfortable in this chore of accosting people. By nature I am recluse; if you are my neighbour for a decade I might just know your name and maybe throw in a smile once a month.

            The Iyengar lady is quite a vocal voice and she read my A4 and said: good, we will attend though I have a wedding to attend around the same time. Right above at M105/4, another lady said: Sure, you have a just cause. Please hand your A4 and I’ll read it when I am back from picking my daughter from the tuitions. I asked: Is there anyone I can approach in this building? She said: try M105/6.

            I rang the doorbell and when I said: I am your neighbour and not a pest salesman. You see, SYNAPSE people have come and despoiled my building. She immediately made me come inside and offered a sofa seat: I am so glad that you are organising a meeting. Unfortunately I am bound for Karaikal tonight. We must meet some other time and she offered her visiting card. It read: Anu Chandramouli, BJP state secretary. I couldn’t believe my good fortune – the third door I knock and I get the biggest fish in town.

Action @ M102:

This is a building where an iron pressing man has made it his office!  One house was locked over litigation for three years now. I saw visible signs of despoliation with broken windows. At M102/4, Mr. Santhanam heard my case patiently and advised: First, we must form an association and register it. I said: whatever it takes, but please come on Saturday. Santhanam directed me to M102/5 where I met a retired man from National Highways, Mr. Perumal. I made the now practised pitch: SYNAPSE by opening a clinic at M90 has robbed us for our peace. Please support me.  

Action @ M95:

So far I knocked on five doors and all of them were decent and gave patient ears. They made me sit on chairs and offered drinking water. But approaching strangers and enlist them on my cause felt like an Eureka Forbes salesman – I am a creative writer and salesmanship is not my cup of tea, in fact it gives me the jitters. But I was trying to save my house and that was motivation enough to go knocking.

            At M95/5, Mrs. Vishwanathan said: I know all about your building. I spoke to M90/3 lady Ms. Kalpagam (my neighbour who sold out to SYNAPSE and now their brand ambassador espousing the clinic’s cause. Had this stupid neighbour of mine saw eye-to-eye with me on this issue, we could have stopped “Quick Gun Murugan” in his tracks a long while back) and she said: it is our service to society.

            I almost laughed our aloud: Ma’am first this is not Kalpagam’s property to distribute it on dole. It is my COMMON AREA and if she is so inclined for charity, let her do so on her income. As to service to society, this is a private clinic with profit motive. This fellow has spent over 10 lacs on refurbishments and he will milk his patients to cover these expenses. Besides no honest doctor would be a land grabber. 

            Mrs. Vishwanathan said: there are only tenants in this building, so don’t waste your time knocking their doors. Just try  the immediate neighbour at M95/3.  On ringing the doorbell, an old woman opened the door. Seeing her weak and emaciated, I had no heart to give a sales pitch. I said: Ma’am, she this A4 sheet and please attend a meeting on Saturday at M90.

Action @ M94:

I made a similar appeal to Mr. Meenakshi who works at Accenture. Their mother knew my mother and common friends and so she offered me a tea. The young son at Accenture said: I appreciate your efforts but unfortunately I am on an office tour in the weekend. But I am so interested and curious – this is my visiting card.  Please drop in an email as to what transpired at the meeting.

            I met the downstairs people at M94 and a familiar face at the temple in Rudram chanting. We smiled and I thrust the A4 in his hands saying: You are invited for a MIG Flat owners meeting on Saturday.

Action @ M92:

I met a very interesting Vasudevan, retired from service. He said: This Nathan fellow’s generator used to rattle at high decibels and when I complained, those people threatened: if you keep complaining, we’’ll uproot all your ACs for they also mutter! Strange rationale thugs in DMK and AIADMK use to threaten retired men whose only need is a little tranquillity. He complained about his neighbour at M92/4: Raghu is cheap that they refuse to pay even for sewage blockage issues saying that it is the problem of the ground floor flats. Bloody hell, what obtuse logic, it is not as though the sewage from first and second floor evaporate into air! They even have separate maintenance for ground floor residents and those in the first and second floor. They contention is that they will not pay for sweeping the portico as it only benefits the ground floor residents. Vasudevan said to a classic that found immediate resonance in me: I resided in Delhi for decades and Punjabis are loud, gross and verily the devil but they are broadminded, Madrasis are chors (narrow minded). 

At M92/4 met Raghu’s wife and she said, “We are busy as my son is going to US on Sunday for Masters, so kindly excuse us.”

I came back to base at M90 and gave an invite to Jon Ranjit my overhead neighbour at M90/6.

Learning:

I was on the streets for an hour. Actually, I found most of the residents are not even on talking terms in their adjacent flat people, and often blow hot and cold. Queer thing was all of them wanted bonding and good neighbourly affections but none knew how. The daily strain of living for decades made for frozen hearts and bad blood. This came as a great relief to me: it is just not my sisters – Viji and Latha – who are selfish but the entire world.

            What transpired at the meeting on 29^th July on a Saturday evening is a tale I carry to the next post. Please click on the label M90 for all these juicy tales, it is recommended you start from the beginning.