CHAPTER 2: GODFATHER- THE GREAT
Vijay Khanna Gounder is a rich businessman living in the places of Ukkadam near to Coimbatore district. Being a bigwig in the society, Vijay Khanna is also arrogant and never acts good to his employees. Though he is like this, Vijay Khanna is gold in his heart. He donates money for the poor trusts, Orphanage and many other welfare schemes and has also done good for employees, without their knowledge.
Due to some unknown reasons, Vijay Khanna is harsh towards his employee. Vijay Khanna has a 234 billion properties, which all he had earned for his only son, Sakthivel's sake. In childhood, Sakthivel suffered from ADHD and it took three to four years to get him cured of the problem through his mother Ishika's help, who thinks of nothing else other than his son's cure.
More than his father, Sakthivel loves his grandfather Krishnaswamy so much, because he inspired him a lot for his studies and supported his activities while, his father was stiffly against some works of Sakthi. Sakthi is a genuine and soft guy, who is also a carefree student in the college and never gets angry to his fellow mates.
More than his happiness, Sakthi wants his friends to be happier and considers other's growth also as important other than his growth. So many of his friends respects Sakthi a lot, because he indeed has helped some students to study well and acquire jobs by motivating them continuously.
Even his father is unknown regarding this and when he learned about Sakthi's greatness, he was proud. Sakthi however, is angry with his father because he had never been good to anyone of his employees and this often leads to clashes between the duo which, worries the aged grandfather of Sakthi, a lot.
One day, unable to bear the shocking events, Sakthi's grandfather suffers a heart attack and before he can die, he leaves a clue for Sakthi telling to him that, "Vijay is not his father, but he is a godfather to him" and he closes his eyes.
After his grandfather's death, Sakthi is bored and decides to take a break by studying a post-graduation course on Environmental conservations in Calicut University of Kerala and during those times, Sakthi meets a girl named Yazhini, a rich girl from Meenakshipuram near Pollachi, daughter of village chieftain, Rangaswamy.
This particular village Meenakshipuram and another village in Chittoor district of Kerala (which is an arid place) are often prone to water sharing disputes. The resultant is often a clash or riots between the two places because of Azhiyar (Azhi means "sea" and yar means "River"). Since, the river's water flow is equal to the sea, it got such a name.
Since, half of the places in Tamil Nadu uses the water for Agriculture and industrial uses more than the agreement in the Parambikulam-Azhiyar project, the waters are not reaching the Meenakshipuram-Kerala borders properly.
In further, Meenakshipuram has been dominated by a powerful ex-MLA named, Yeddula Nagendra and his younger brother Kumaresan Gounder, who are the ruthless persons in the village. They are trying to bring industry in the village, which wanted to grab some copper-rich products from the village.
Because, Yazhini's father is highly influential in the village, their plans are failure and tries to divert the people's attention by taking down the issues of water disputes in the village. However, this too is thwarted by Yazhini's father.
Rangaswamy tries his best to bring back some of the villagers to his village, who all left the village to city, because of the increasing disputes, clashes and violence between Meenakshipuram and Chittoor.
The resultant of this, affects Meenakshipuram and Chittoor much bad and deaths on both sides, had become common for the past 25 years in the places. Yazhini's father, Rangaswamy tried his best to solve the water sharing disputes and has indeed spoke with the government in regards to releasing the waters for Kerala as per the agreement. Because, Rangaswamy is unable to digest the deaths of his villagers through the frequent clashes, that occurs between the villages.
However, the government never accepts his words since, they considers this as a tactics to get votes through sympathy. They also indeed, expect this to happen so that, the resources and many others can be looted as they wish and no one can question their illegal activities.
Yazhini, who has been unable to digest these problems decides to study a post-graduation course on Environmental conservation and had joined this prestigious Calicut University. She is impressed with the good nature of Sakthi and is attached to him.
Sakthi often says to Yazhini, "Yazhini. You are beautiful. In and out", taking into the accounts of her beauty and good nature. However, Yazhini and many of Sakthi's Tamil and Malayalam friends in Kerala are unknown that he is the son of a rich businessman.
One day, Yazhini is given a statistics of Top 10 businessman of Coimbatore by her friends, in which, they has a surprise. That's none other than Sakthi. Yazhini is shocked to note that, Sakthi is the son of Vijay Khanna and she realizes that he is their long estranged relative.
"Have you seen this, Yazhini? Sakthi has been simple and has not even revealed his identity, right" said one of her friends.
Yazhini starts to avoid Sakthi and he is surprised with her avoiding behavior. Later, Sakthi confronts Yazhini.
She asks him, "Do you know which is your hometown, Sakthi?"
Sakthi is silent.
"You don't know. Meenakshipuram is your hometown" said Yazhini.
"How do you know my hometown? Who told you?" asked Sakthi.
"I also came from that village only. You are one of our relatives. Having been grown up in the hometown and forgetting the hometown, your father earned billions of money in Coimbatore. You are the son of Vijay Khanna. While, I am the daughter of Rangaswamy, who is the village chieftain. We cannot meet anymore, Sakthi. Bye" said Yazhini.
Sakthi thinks for some days about going to his hometown and in the process, he also solves the disputes of his father and business partner, Madhavan, who had a small misunderstanding with Vijay. Impressed, Vijay wishes Sakthi to take charge of his business empire.
However, Sakthi refuses to this and instead asks him some time in order to refresh himself. His father happily agrees to this and asks him to take his own time but, he wanted him to take his business empire. Sakthi finishes his trip for Bangalore, where he saw Iruppu waterfalls, Abbey waterfalls and Shivanasamudra Waterfalls.
After this, he has seen Idukki dam, Athirapally and Meenmutty waterfalls for three days in Kerala. Sakthi now, reaches Meenakshipuram and meets Yazhini's father eventually, to whom he introduces as a film director came in-order to learn about the disputes between the villages.
Rangaswamy agrees and takes him to Vijay Khanna's old house, where he is asked to stay since, he had went away from the village to city. When Sakthi is staying in the village, he learns so many disadvantages that are following in the place.
Though the infrastructures like Roads and Agriculture are good, education and some other basic needs are still a question mark that is following in the village. In further, Sakthi learns that, so many politicians are not doing their work on behalf of the people's welfare, but for their own cause.
The wine shop bars are also noted by Sakthi, which had already spoiled a generation. Besides these, there are numerous and numerous issues in villages. At first, Sakthi develops the educational institutions in Meenakshipuram and later on, continues to create awareness about conservation of water and natural resources to the people and younger children. His ideologies and plans makes Rangaswamy attracted, and he too had indeed helped Sakthi in his works.
Meanwhile, Yazhini comes back to the village after having been completed her education and she learns that Sakthi has come to her village. Thinking that, Sakthi has come for her, she avoids him. Sakthi beats up the wine shop owners and makes them to close their shops which angers ex-MLA group's henchmen.
Fearing for Sakthi's anger, Rangaswamy opens up the flashback before 25 years, where Sakthi's father Vijay too was aggressive. He was keen on developing the village as well as to solve the year long water sharing disputes that arises between the villages after being settled in the business. Since, according to him, the growth is not only for him but it is also for other people.
Vijay was upset with the frequent clashes just because of the water sharing disputes and he had also noticed the political games behind this. He had created so many awareness for this to the people and made them to live peacefully by starting his own educational institution, through which he created awareness for the people to conserve resources and made them peaceful.
Vijay also manages to make Chittoor people relieved, promising them that he and Rangaswamy will speak with the Central in regards to the Nationalization of water resources, to stop this prolonging disputes not only between Tamil Nadu and Kerala but, also between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka(on accounts to Cauvery river).
However, the local politicians and ministers are anger with the plans of Vijay and fearing that, they may be opposed by the villagers, Nagendra's henchman sets Vijay's education institution in fire and Vijay was accused for the mistakes and is sent to prison for two years.
Due to the shock, Vijay's father suffered a stroke and gets paralyzed. Unable to bear the humiliation and insult, Vijay takes his father and himself to Coimbatore city and vowed not to come for Pollachi at any time. Later on, people learned the involvement of Nagendra in the problems of burning the institution and makes him lose the election and they elected Rangaswamy.
However, after Vijay Khanna left the village, again the clashes started between Meenakshipuram and Chittoor districts thus, the death on both sides continued to happen. Vijay Khanna's father slowly relieved from his paralysis and learned about the village disputes through Ranagaswamy, one day.
Besides pleads, Vijay Khanna never agrees to his father's words and asks him to forget that village and he continued to develop his business. Rangaswamy tells to Sakthi that, Vijay Khanna's father wished to see this village living peacefully and this is his last wish till now.
Sakthi feels proud about his grandfather and claims him as Vijay's god father. Meanwhile, Yeddula Nagendra and his brother learns that Sakthi is Vijay's son and calls Vijay, to whom they threatens that, Sakthi will be killed by them because, he is trying to interfere with the village similar to Vijay.
As told, their henchman stabs Sakthi after he comes out from the Central Minister's meeting cabinet, where he had addressed the water disputes between Indian states with the help of Rangaswamy. Sakthi is admitted in the hospital and Yazhini feels sad and cries down.
Seeing to her mother, she says, "Mother. I need him, ma"
"What are you saying, my dear? Do you know him already?" asked her mother and father.
"He and I loved so much dad. We had been known for each other very well. Later on, only I learned that he is our relative Vijay Khanna's son and I started to avoid him. I further avoided him, when he came to this town. However, I learned about his sincerity to solve the water disputes. He is good guy than us" said Yazhini.
Vijay Khanna comes to the place and all are shocked to know his arrival. He addresses to the villagers:
"The village has also not yet changed and you also had not changed. You are all living and live forever. He is my only son. One and only son da. Let him live da. You all made my father's life miserable and myself too…Now, you are all trying to make my son's life also miserable. Have you all been peaceful until now? You all had been clashing with the other villages only. You all worry that what will your life become when he goes right! I will feed you all da. I will feed you throughout your life. But, if anything happens to my son means, no one, no one will go alive."
Vijay Khanna sees Yazhini and asks, "I heard that you was the reason for my son's arrival to this village. He too likes you a lot it seems, ma. If you can, come away from this village, forgetting all. Because, he will not have any connection between this place, ma"
Since, everyone begs Sakthi to leave the village, he agrees and goes with his father and Sakthi is upset for several days.
"Sakthi. I thought you will change your mindset and come to speak will all of us. Will you never change, da?" asked Vijay.
"I am trying to change myself again and again, dad" said Sakthi.
"I thought you must forget that place. Hence, I brought you here. You don't need that place da" said Vijay.
"You had brought me from that place, dad. But, you was unable to make me forget the place, that lives in my heart" said Sakthi.
"Huh! What's there in that place da? Your parents are here, your family are here and all are here only" shouted Sakthi's father.
"But, my life alone is in Meenakshipuram only, dad. I am pretending to be happy to you all. But, I am not. You came out from that village because they have paralyzed your father. But, they all felt happier that, you have been good and living happily in the city, doing so many welfare for poor and disabled. They are also our family. Just for speaking bad, you has come here and done hard work to develop your business empire. But, touch your heart and say that, you didn't even remember about your people, pa. I can develop our business to 50000 billion from 30000 billion. But, I cannot. Because, I am…I am unable to tell anything, pa. When I lived in that village, I saw how people were clashing for the water and so many other conflicts. Because of that conflict, they are exiting from that village, dad…I am not a good son. If I can, I will come and see you in Pongal festivals dad. You have given me soul so that, I cannot be there with you forever, dad. Live me for this one generation, dad" said Sakthi.
"Many use to tell me that, I have got a beautiful son. But, I have got a good son. I must thank my godfather, Sakthi. Go. For the place, which you like, go. So many people, will be waiting for you there also, Sakthi. Don't be late. Let's finish the disputes" said Vijay and they decides to meet the Central Government.
Sakthi's mother tells to him that, "Though if she had tears in her eyes, she feels proud for bearing him as her son."
Vijay and Sakthi explains the daily issues just because of the Interstate Water sharing problems and claims to the ministers that Nationalization is the only solution for stopping all these kinds of issues further showing them the evidences which, shows the politics involved with the waters and for so many other things like Natural resources and many others which are all a hidden truth for the people as well as the government.
Vijay also wants a separate act to be passed for abolishing corruption, where like other countries such as North Korea and South Korea, laws must be severe and lives the decision in the hands of the Union Government.
The Prime Minister accepts the ideas of Vijay Khanna and Sakthivel, praising them for addressing the long-lasting issues of Water disputes in India and the cabinet announces the plan of bringing Nationalization of Natural resources act, 2020 where there comes the following rules:
1.) The state Government don't have any rights to exploit the natural resources like Rivers, Forests and others.
2.) The State government are offended for severe punishments like death sentence and beheading for the guilt of committing the exploitation.
3.) The water from rivers and dams will be equally distributed to the states and according to the rules and regulations, all the states should give the appropriate TMC of waters to the neighboring states.
4.) If they are found guilty of refusal, they are offered severe punishments.
After the meeting of Cabinet Ministers, on account to the request of Prime Minister, so many industries and companies decide to adopt the villages and make them all educated about future employments and natural conservation. Ex-Minister Yeddula Nagendra and his brother gets arrested for their offence of firing the educational institution, that was started by Vijay Khanna. While Vijay Khanna and his family with Sakthi, reconciles with Rangaswamy, who invites them all warmly to his house and they all live happily. Vijay Khanna is praised by Rangaswamy as Sakthi's God father like, Vijay's father. Since, he had fulfilled the long time dream of Sakthi's grandfather as well as Sakthi's and tells, Sakthi is exactly like his grandfather, for which Vijay smiles while, Sakthi on hearing this, feels very happy and now he turns and sees how happy the villages are now after bringing the plans of nationalization with much struggles.