The whole of India watched in eager earnest, the outcome of the imbroglio of Campa Cola Compound, Mumbai. The highest judiciary in the land, Supreme Court had ordered the illegal floors of the buildings in Worli’s Campa Cola compound to be demolished and people across the nation and the city felt a fraction of the residents’ shock. The shocking images of wailing, screaming women and children left many of us speechless with the looming thought that these people will be homeless in a few hours.
You could either see the hapless residents blocking the entry gates by forming human chains or holding ‘save our homes, save campa cola’ placards and banners or even performing ‘hawans’ to refrain the authorities from setting foot into and bringing down their domiciles.
It was absolutely clear that the residing families weren’t leaving any stone unturned, and all this bore some fruits in the form of extension of deadlines issued by the court for final demolition. But with the court finally becoming stricter regarding the case, it didn’t seem that it was interested in setting a precedent by allowing the illegal construction to stand.
As they ran from pillar to post to stop the demolition of the 143 apartments in central Mumbai, the residents of the Campa Cola compound in Worli in central Mumbai banked on a SLP ‘special leave petition’ they had filed before the Supreme Court to save them. The residents were hoping that the Supreme Court will be enough to hold back the city's civic body from going ahead with the demolition. Many of the residents were on a hunger strike protesting the demolition of the apartments.
The deadline for vacating illegal flats in Worli's Campa Cola compound lapsed but not single resident submitted keys to their ward office. The civic body then planned to enter the premises on June 17 to cut electricity, water and gas connections, following which it planned to start demolishing the internal walls of the flats to make them uninhabitable. Their trauma had been prolonged. The Government didn’t do anything to help them on humanitarian grounds.
Supreme Court had quashed their plea for an extension. The residents remain defiant on handing over the keys, though.
Exhausted by the attempts to save the compounds from that misery, Ajit Mathur, the legal advisor of the case called his friend, explaining their dismal helplessness as the last resort. As soon as he heard that his friend was at the Sacred Sikh Holy Shrine Shri Harmandir Sahib; He exclaimed” Now My work is done!” His battle was half won when he said this. Such was his CONVICTION.
He just requested him to get a gallon of Sacred Nectar from Guru Ram Das ji’s Sarovar, for him. He believed in the divine power of Faith. His Faith was strong enough to defy all the fears which had hovered his mind.
The day after; this sacred water was sprinkled around the whole compound and an Ardaas performed. And what was surprising that it actually did WORK!
No one knew that, this Only ray of hope had the power to turn the situation flipside. In a huge relief to hundreds of agitating residents of the Campa Cola Compound in South Mumbai`s posh Worli area, the Supreme Court stayed the demolition of illegal flats. The Supreme Court on May 30, 2014 declined to stay the eviction of the residents.
For Campa Cola society residents, it`s tears of joy with hope. The apex court directed the officials of the BMC to halt the demolition work.
This Decision gave a fresh lease of life to hundreds of Campa Cola society residents who have waged a do-or-die battle to save their homes, claiming that they had done nothing wrong and they were duped by builders.
When there is HOPE, there is FAITH, when there is FAITH, there are MIRACLES.
Guru Ram Das even answered the prayers of this Non-practicing Sikh.
