GAWKING FEES (Nokku Kooli)
By T Kannamala
Author : News Chase : Thrills, frills & perils of News Reporting
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This is a news story on how a neighbourhood of Malampuzha in Kerala, had lost a senior citizens resort in the 1980s, because of Nokku Kooli.
`Nokku Kooli’ is a euphemism for extortion by organised labour unions in Kerala, for just watching the unloading of goods from any goods carrier. According to Wikipedia, under this system, trade union activists collect a fixed amount for allowing common householders/investors/builders to unload belonging/materials using machines or their own labour.
This happens with the tacit support of political parties.
Despite a recent order by the CPM (M) led Kerala government against this practice, a `Nokku Kooli’ gang demanded payment for the materials unloaded from a tipper lorry. The Labour Commissioner interfered in the matter and declared that the demand was illegal, and settled the issue.
The gang and an equally powerful duck owners group had earlier sorted out a similar issue after a minor scuffle, when `Nokku Kooli’ was demanded to unload live ducks from a lorry in to a paddy field. The arguments of the duck owner that his birds flew down from the truck and ran in to the field did not cut ice with the hagglers.
Back to Malampuzha story.
As the Chief Engineer of Western Railways, P Prabhakara Menon was entitled to use a special saloon, while going on inspection tours. The compact saloons had a kitchenette, bedroom, office room, visitors room and all other facilities for a small family.
This set him thinking: Why not develop this concept in to a retirement facility for senior citizens?
The result was the senior citizens resort in Muthukad, on the way to Mahabalipuram from Chennai.
After his retirement from service in the early 1980s, Menon purchased three acres of land on the East Coast Road, and developed the resort. `This is not an old age home, a seniors club or a shelter for the elderly.
So I chose the word `resort’.
It is a place where elderly couples could lead a dignified life, with all material comforts taken care of by competent agencies’, he told me when I visited the resort.
After visiting the resort, I wrote a news story about it in widely circulated Malayalam news weekly. Its editor later told me that several people from Kerala including a union minister of state had inquired about the resort, and wanted more details.
This has been my pet project too, and promoted the concept whenever I could. This time, the Nokku Kooly has become a news peg.
Some details about the resort.
The three acre resort has 40 double rooms (300 sq.ft), and 16 single rooms (150 sq ft). To avoid climbing stairs, all rooms are on the ground floor.
All rooms have 10 ft open space on the front, five ft each on the sides and back.
Admission is strictly for financially sound couples, who are used to community living in their careers.
When I visited the resort in September 1999, I could meet a few residents including defence officers, Doctors, retired class one officers and senior executives from reputed companies.
In the well protected campus, there is a medical centre, Post Office, Library, prayer hall, cleaners, messengers, laundry and a club.
The dining room can accommodate 30 persons at a time.
Only vegetarian food (satwick food) is served. Inmates can cook their own vegetarian food, but not too often. Close relatives and friends on visit can stay in guest rooms.
Most of the inmates had their houses in Chennai city, and big family get together took place there.
There is a footpath, not too close to the boundary wall around the three acre land, for the elders for their evening walk.
No outsider is allowed in the resort without permission. The seniors can keep their vehicles in the campus, go out and come any time.
Drivers are provided on demand.
Now the `Nokku Kooly’ twist in the tale.
Menon had initially planned to build the resort in Malampuzha. After seeing a place near the dam, he returned to Palghat by bus carrying a small suitcase. When he got down from the bus, a lanky youth grabbed his suitcase, claiming it was his right to carry it. Menon assured him he was strong enough to carry it, and went his way. But the youth accompanied him, and wanted `Nokku Kooly’.
As Menon had relatives and friends around, he could get away without paying anything to the youth, who left with an ominous `see you later’ threat.
`This very introduction to the state had made me think of the neighbouring Tamil Nadu to set up my resort,’ Menon said.
Eom/Tk/11/052018
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