After losing 2-acre land Sullia man spends 15 years in his car in dense forest

Mangaluru, Jan 29: A 43-year-old farmer, who spent nearly one-and-a-half decades in a dense forest near Sullia in Dakshina Kannada district after losing his two-acres of land in 2002 due to nonpayment of loans, finally got a new lease of life when Deputy Commissioner AB Ibrahim assured him to provide at least one acre of land.

Around 15 years ago, Chandrashekar Gowda entered a forest more than 20 kilo metres away from Sullia and parked his car there. He led the life like an aborigine and spent nights in the same car converting it into an abode.

When Mr Ibrahim came to know the helpless Gowda’s story through a Kannada news channel, he invited him to the DC’s office on Thursday and listened to his tale woes. Mr Ibrahim also invited psychiatrist Ravish Thunga, social activist Hilda Rayappan, Superintendent of Police S.D. Sharanappa and representatives from cooperative society that had given him loan for an hour-long meeting with him.

Mr. Gowda had taken a short-term loan and two crop loans totalling to Rs. 50,400 from Nelluru Kemraje Cooperative Society in 1999. Failure to return the amount made the Society initiate proceedings for auctioning his two acres land. The land was auctioned for Rs 1.2 lakh in October 2002. After deducting the amount that was due, the society has kept in the suspense account Rs. 11,000 that Mr. Gowda has still not taken.

When asked as to why he was living an arduous life in the forest, Mr. Gowda said, “I lost my house and land. There is no other abode.” Mr. Gowda said he had spent sleepless nights in the forest amid elephants and other wild animals.

He then takes names of some persons in his village and accuses them of not giving money he had sought for repayment of loan. “If I had got that cheque of Rs. 50,000, I would have repaid.” He sticks to this even while Dr. Thunga and Ms. Rayappan ask him to state facts clearly.

Mr. Ibrahim’s statement of pursuing Mr. Gowda’s application for regularisation of one-acre land adjoining the two-acre, which he had lost, brings smile on him.

“I want you to do it for me,” Mr Gowda tells Mr. Ibrahim. But he does not agree to Mr. Ibrahim’s offer to stay in Mangaluru and earn living by working at Pilikula Nisargadhama from his baskets.

After the meeting, Dr. Thunga said Mr. Gowda had an odd behaviour and he recommended some psychiatric tests. The Government Wenlock Hospital Superintendent H. Rajeshwari Devi was directed to arrange for the tests. Mr. Ibrahim said it would be the responsibility of district administration to take care of Mr. Gowda and ensure him safe place of living.