Hometown: Journey To Pollachi

Pollachi is the place near Coimbatore district, 37 kilometers from Ukkadam, the main arena of Coimbatore while it is approximately 200 kilometers from Hyderabad. The main areas near Kerala borders especially Meenakshipuram and the Chittoor district of Kerala are often prone to the cycles of violence due to the Interstate Water Sharing disputes.

The main reason behind the 30 year feudal is because of the River named Azhiyar, which in-turn becomes Bharathapuzha(also called as Nila, "The Lifeline of Kerala") in Chittoor district. Since, it raises from Anaimalai Hills near Pollachi of Western Ghats, this river and Periyar are the only west-flowing rivers in Tamil Nadu while the other rivers are East-flowing rivers.

I also try to convey another point of justice. As our peoples think off, not only Karnataka-Tamil Nadu water sharing disputes, but indeed we too are doing the mistakes of Tamil Nadu-Kerala water sharing disputes on the occasions of Parambikulam-Azhiyar Project, according to which, our state has to release 0.7 TMC for Kerala.

But, for the past few years, the waters has not reached the places of Chittoor district and some use to say that, Kerala gets good rains and they can manage. Chittoor, being an arid area, how can it get a good rain and hence, those peoples ask for our waters. If for us it is blood, then for them is it a tomato chutney.

Because of the rivalries that follows up between these two villages, the head of Meenakshipuram village, Balakeshava Gounder decides to make a peaceful talks with the Chittoor district people. However, because of a large 2G scam of Tamil Nadu State Government, the plan is dropped since, they wants to divert the attention of people.

The disputes and the issues are made bigger including the talks of Palakkad district, which was separated from Tamil Nadu and given to Kerala in 1970's partition. During 12.12.1990, the disputes between Chittoor and Meenakshipuram turns into a violent conflict like the Sri Lankan Civil War, thus killing 100 people on both the sides.

Balakeshava Gounder's brother-in-law, Sai Adhithya Gounder, is feared that the violence might harm the Meenakshipuram village's peace if this continues as the same way. However, Sai Adhithya's younger sister, Harini and also Balakeshava Gounder's wife, is feared and is also sensitive towards this violence cycles. She worries for the safety of Sakthivel, their son.

Sai Adhithya, however is confident that, the villages will come under peace. But, one day, a group of peoples from Chittoor district and makes a protest in Meenakshipuram. Using this as a plus point, the councilor of the village orders the police officers to ensure a fire attack thus, killing the peoples from both Meenakshipuram and Chittoor.

In the ensuing violence, Balakeshava Gounder is heavily injured, when he saved the Chittoor head, Raja Naicker, who was surprised with Balakeshava's acts since, he saved the head from the rival village and took him to safe.

Harini is also stabbed to death and hence, Balakeshava decides to save at least his son Sakthivel.

"Adhithya……Come here" called out Balakeshava Gounder.

"Brother-in-law…What's this? Come let's go to hospital" said Adhithya seeing the injured Kesava Gounder.

"I will die anytime now. Hence, at-least save my son Sakthi." Said Balakeshava giving his son to Adhithya but, takes out to get him a promise.

"Wait. Before this, you have to promise me" said Keshava Gounder.

"Yes, Brother-in-law," said Adhithya.

"My son should not grow up like me and he also should not learn about the past of his hometown. Take him and your daughter somewhere away from this hometown." Said Keshava Gounder and he dies in Adhithya's arms.

"Brother-in-law…Brother-in-law," said Adhithya and he cried at him.

Sai Adhithya flees from Pollachi with his daughter Neeraja and Sakthivel. Sai Adhithya's wife Ishika is also killed in the riots. Sai Adhithya goes to Bangalore and plans to raise up his daughter and Sakthivel solving all his problems.

Sai Adhithya also resigns his Air force job, which was his dream from childhood and he decides to raise up Sakthivel and Neeraja remembering the promise, given to Balakeshava Gounder. He joins as a Chef in a star hotel and begins to work there thinking about the career of his daughter and son-in-law.

20 years later, now a grown-up Sakthivel and Neeraja come and they both are in IIT college for their post-graduation course Environmental Studies. Neeraja and Sakthi love so much dearly, since childhood and this is also agreed by Sai Adhithya. Sakthi is grown as a non-violent, cool, and genuine guy and Sai Adhithya is keen to make him stay away from any sort of issues so that his promise is saved.

Neeraja though is a cool and genuine girl, she is short-tempered whenever there is an issue for her friends and this worries Sai Adhithya. Sai Adhithya further have hidden the past to both Neeraja and Sakthi as told.

One day, one of Sakthi's friends, Gokul gets attacked by a group of gangsters, who was opposed by Gokul for indulging in nefarious activities. In a bid to save Gokul, Sakthi intervenes and he is injured by those gangsters.

On learning this, Sai Adhithya is worried and he goes to Balakeshava Gounder's photo to whom he says, "Brother-in-law. As you told, I raised our son as a non-violent and genuine guy. But, he is your blood. Hence, he will inherit your behavior right. Maybe, I am feared when will he learn the truth and you should save me"

However, Balakeshava's photo falls down and Sai Adhithya understands that Sakthi will learn the truth anyway and he is more feared. Meanwhile, there is heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the Kaveri basin and floods affects the parts of Karnataka.

Though, the dams are filled the government says, still waters to fill in the dams and they diverts to the lands of agriculture and drinking purposes. However, the flood is excess and the government is forced to release waters for Tamil Nadu, which angers Sakthi and with his friends, he organizes a protest against the government for the water-release.

Sai Adhithya learns about this through Neeraja, and he rushes to save Sakthi and he forcefully takes Sakthi to his house, where he scolds him.

"Uncle. Why are you scolding me? Have I done a big mistake? I just raised voice against the release of waters" said Sakthivel.

"Through that, you are betraying the peoples of Tamil Nadu, Sakthi" said Sai Adhithya.

"Why uncle? Why you hate violence and disputes?" asked Sakthivel.

"You will not understand, Sakthi" said Adhithya.

"Hence, my parents are ruthless criminals. Is it uncle?" asked Sakthivel in anger to Adhithya.

"How dare you say your parents are criminals? What do you know about your father, Sakthi? Do you know who he is?" asked Sai Adhithya slapping Sakthi for telling such words.

Now, Sai Adhithya comes with the events before the arrival of Balakeshava Gounder to Pollachi. Balakeshava and Sai Adhithya worked as Major in the Indian Army under Air Force. After fighting with some terrorists and rescuing a journalist, they decide to go for Pollachi, their hometown. Shortly after their arrival, Balakeshava's father was killed by the rival district Chittoor due to the water-sharing disputes. In occasion to this, Sai Adhithya and Balakeshava learned that there are problems within the country and they offered to solve this.

Soon after, Balakeshava is married to Sai Adhithya's sister, Harini, whom he loved from college days. Bala takes the position of his father and was bringing peace. However, Harini is too sensitive to violence and wants Sai Adhithya and Balakeshava to stay away from these riots which, both of them refuse.

Meanwhile, Sai Adhithya was also married to his long love interest, Ishika and under Balakeshava's request to Ishika's father, he gets married to her. Some days later, Ishika became pregnant. But, she was frightened with the day-to-day increase of violence and fights for the Azhiyar water sharing disputes.

Despite her please to Sai Adhithya, all of them refuse to co-operate and they decide to solve the water-sharing disputes. On this occasion, Balakeshava learned that during the Kamaraj Periods, there was an agreement between him and the ex-chief minister Namboodari(in Kerala), according to which 0.25 TMC of waters should be released to Kerala through, Azhiyar river. But, for the past 30 years, this has been violated and he meets the Meenakshipuram MLA and confronts him.

Balakeshava vowed to catch the politicians red-handed for indulging in the cheating works and made works to bring them down with Sai Adhithya. As per planned, Balakeshava and Sai Adhithya brought down the Sand Mining and Scam projects in the accounts of people and as a result, the politicians find it threatened and planned to divert the minds of people.

Hence, they took up the issues of Palakkad district, demanding that, it belongs to Tamil Nadu and this becomes a violent conflict between both the states. At the same time, the Politicians decides to take revenge against the families of Balakeshava and Sai Adhithya, without even leaving the single-family members during the riots.

Balakeshava on learning this manages to evade off the goons but, in the process, a Kerala guy got caught and in a bid to save him, he was brutally injured. At that time, Ishika was going under labor pain and Neeraja was born. But, within a few seconds, Ishika was killed by the goons and Sai Adhithya took Neeraja to safe. Later, under Balakeshava's request Sai Adhithya took Neeraja and Sakthi away from Pollachi and vowed not to go for Pollachi.

"Now, tell me Sakthi. Do you wish to raise voice against the government?" asked Sai Adhithya.

"We will fight. We will fight for the cause of our people" said Sakthi and Neeraja breaking the tiles of the house.

"Sakthivel..." said Sai Adhithya, in shock.

"Sakthivel Balakeshava Gounder" said a violent Sakthivel.

"These many days, I was silent because of the promise to your father…But, a man have come to Pollachi…Sakthi, I myself tell you…Go for your hometown and finish the unfinished task of your father…I will also come with you" said Sai Adhithya.

"Neeraja…Tell that, Balakeshava's son is coming to Pollachi" said Sai Adhithya, and she agrees to inform this.

Meanwhile, in Pollachi, a Copper-Industry is planned to get established in Meenakshipuram grabbing the lands of Agricultural people under the influence of the MLA, who killed Bala's entire family. However, this is opposed by some groups of people and they rallies protest against the group. Sai Adhithya, Sakthivel and Neeraja arrives to Meenakshipuram and Sakthi learns about the water-sharing disputes gradually from Sai Adhithya.

In these times, Sakthi also learns that, Copper Industry is going to be established in his village and he decides to bring down the corrupt nature of the politicians proving that, "They are all fighting not for the people's sake, but for their own welfare." which Balakeshava failed to do.

Various challenges had been faced by Sakthi in his mission, to bring down the Politicians. Since, it's not an easy task for Sakthi to collect evidence against the politicians and even, the people are supporting them claiming that, they became a bigwig in the society. No one gave hands to the non-violence.

Feeling that, it's difficult to change the minds of Tamil Peoples, Sakthi tells his views to go for Bangalore to Sai Adhithya and Neeraja.

"I never expected that Balakeshava's blood relation will accept the defeat, Sakthi" said Sai Adhithya.

Sakthi remains silent and Sai Adhithya takes Neeraja and Sakthi to upstairs to speak with him.

"If you go from this place, it's not only you, but Balakeshava and these people will also be defeated. Go Sakthi…Go and finish your unfinished mission" said Sai Adhithya.

Sakthi calls his senior friends and classmates to Pollachi where they, all forms a group and creates various awareness about peacefulness and corrupt nature of political leaders…Especially in the minds of young people, which makes the minds of young to turn against the politicians thus, also changing the minds of the elderly people …

Later, Sakthi meets the people of, where he shows the scams of politicians and further questions the people, whether at any time, had they fulfilled the needs of people, whenever demanded or they thought, will they do help people without, a prior motive and the people realizes that they are wrong and decides to give up the violence analyzing that, all are a part of political games…

Chittoor people finally, realizes the political games and influences. They eventually gives up the fights and violence implying that, the political game is no more. Since, people started to realize the true intentions of politicians…Sakthi realizes that his true intentions for which, he have came to his hometown have been fulfilled. He and his family decides to return for Bangalore with Sai Adhithya.

The politicians who involved, in the scams and corruptions were arrested by Enforcement department under the orders of the Central Government and they are given a life-long imprisonment. The Copper Industry are also given seal by the Central government, telling that no states should allow those harmful industries to take part at any times even after the dissolution of the current ruling parties. 

After this, the media asks Sakthi about the issues of violence to which Sakthi replies, "It's not only the mistakes of people, but also in their selection...These younger generations sits under the technology and even fails to realize the disputes and violence that are followed in their regions. Everyone should realize about the importance of farming and resources and should conserve it according to the needs of peoples. These many times, to the one whom you spoke with is not Sakthi but, B.Sakthivel, Son of Balakeshava Gounder"

When a man in the media asks about the solution for the water disputes between the interstates Sakthi replies, "Only when the natural resources are nationalized and comes under the control of one government, these disputes could be stopped" and he leaves from the place telling them Thank you.

Sai Adhithya and Neeraja watches it proudly and aftermath, Sakthi and the duo, goes into their house to start a new and fresh life implying that they are peaceful and happier forever from this day onwards.