Lingaa Page #5

This is Sammandham,

once a wealthy man

He's Kavi Bharathi

Big shot in this village

He is-

A very good afternoon

to everybody

Come to the point

We have handed over countless

petitions expressing our troubles

We even sent telegrams

But it has all been in vain

If we submit

100 petitions...

...Collector will come

He'll meet all of us

And promise to look

into it later and disappear

They were all British

And they didn't lift a finger

You seem to be one of us

We are sure this time

we will be lucky

As a Collector

whatever I can...

...I'll do my best

Tell me what your problem is

Water is our problem

See the river over there

Look how dry it is

This is how it is

9 months in a year

We have to walk 6 to 8 miles

daily to fetch drinking water

Otherwise, know the rail engine?

Half the crowd will rush to

get hot water from the engine

Suddenly rains from somewhere

will cause a deluge in the river

The flood will wash

our village away

The boy standing there

lost his father in the flood

This young girl

lost her husband

The flood will even wash away

the goats we rear for our livelihood

In this drought season

we won't have water

Fields will be dry

No rainfall

But hunger alone is here

to stay in our village

In a nutshell,

we are at a loss...

...whether this river is

with water or without

My God! An entire family

has fallen into a huge pit

That isn't a pit

It's an old well

Poor souls!

Often our folks are forced

to commit suicide

Bharathi! Imagine their anguish

to end their lives like this

God knows how many more

will die in this famine?

In a state of total despair

unable to survive without food...

...they preferred

to end their lives

This is the plight

of our village

This kind of farmer's suicide

isn't a rare incident

It is a daily occurence

Rather than live in misery

if we ask them to find work outside...

...they refuse saying

they were born here

To die in hunger like this

what does it matter which soil?

Our pleas fall only on deaf ears

Wonder who will take total

responsibility for this death toll

We don't know who will come

and prevent all this, sir

Hereafter, not even 1 life will be

lost due to famine in this village

I won't let it happen

Hasn't he eaten?

Not yet

Sir, why haven't you

had your dinner?

If I skip 1 meal in a day

it isn't the end of the world

Only if one is unable to

eat even once a day...!

'If an individual is denied food

we'll destroy this world, we would'

We have to build a dam

for the people of Solaiyur

Yes, it is a dam

I want to build for

the people of Solaiyur

Damn it!

Mr Lingeswaran, you got no idea

the cost of constructing a dam

Not one of the Collectors

present here is aware

Even I don't know

But you definitely do!

Why?

Because, you haven't passed

just the Indian Civil Service

But an efficient engineer who has

studied Civil engineering in Cambridge

Yes, sir, I know as a civil engineer

what the total expenditure will be

So how will we get

such a huge amount?

Why can't you build it

with the taxes collected in India?

How does the British Govt

benefit by doing so?

If we block the waters which

would otherwise reach the sea...

...and build a dam, how fertile

the surrounding land will become

Don't you know that

as a Collector?

And are you unaware of

the increased income you'll get?

And how much tax to

levy on the farmer...

...should an Indian teach

the British Govt, huh?

We are fully aware

No necessity for you

to teach our Government

Mr Lingeswaran, first approve

my plan that you objected

You see, if you laid a train track

from Madurai to Cochin...

...Govt.can see returns

Won't that cost money?

It will, but-

In spite of it, at once

you'll gain multifold, right?

That's why you built

all these railroads in India

From gold, diamond, emerald, ruby,

coral, pearl, lapis lazuli to pepper...

...countless products you planned to

smuggle from here to your country

So you laid these tracks

Or else to enjoy with

your family in hill stations

I am sorry

As Madurai Collector

I can't approve this

Yes, we won't sanction

the approval either

You're also working

for the British Govt

So don't plan on what

to give the people here

Think of what you can

take to Buckingham!

In fact you should think of what

you'll take when you finally go up

You are letting

your tongue run!

Yes, wishing to do some good for

my motherland, I'm talking too much

You have to get

your salary from us

Don't forget that

I work as a Collector

for the British Govt

Not for your salary

I want to serve the people

For the joy it gives me

And for my satisfaction

What if we dismiss you

from your post as Collector?

What's the use of being

useless to everyone?

Why should you dismiss me?

I'll myself resign

By resigning

your Collector's job...

...you've already failed

I haven't failed

I've just postponed

my success!

I know where and how to get

permission to build the dam

See you soon

No use trusting this Govt

Even the newly appointed Collector

has resigned his job it seems

Only God can

save us hereafter

My...fabulous!

What a palace!!

Do you want one like this?

What a joke?

Hey Janet, never ever

underestimate me

Oh! Bless you

- Madam?

- Not for me, thank you

That is fantastic

It's Italian, sir

Sir, please come with me

Collector, sir, he is

the landlord of Rayakottai

Nice to meet you

Evening

Governor is on the way

Be alert

Your Excellency!

Maharaja is coming

Hey! He's Collector

of Madurai, right?

Not anymore

He was the Collector of Madurai

But always a king!

Ladies and gentlemen

and my dear friends

As you all know, His Highness

the Maharaja of Kodiyur...

Raja Lingeswaran has so graciously

invited us here tonight for dinner and...

...celebration of his birthday

And to him I wish

a very long life

Everything is made

of silver and gold

He really is a very rich man

Yes, I've just

come to know

Well! I have been here

more than 10 years

I know Tamil

Just a few words

But I understand it very well

Was this your father's place

before it was yours?

So you are following

in your father's footsteps?

Actually my ambition was

to become an engineer

So my dad sent me

to study in London

But his last wish was

for me to study ICS

And become a Collector

Why ICS?

My father used to

tell me quite often

Our ancestors had a lot of power

when they were kings

They could do what they wanted

for the people without constraints

But in your British rule

only Collectors have the power

So he wanted me to become

a Collector and I studied ICS

Then why did you resign?

I couldn't do what I wanted

Go on, what did you

want to do? Tell me

I think this isn't the right

place and time to discuss

It's always the right place and time

to discuss things between friends, right?

With my resources I want to

do a lot of good for my people

Who is going to object?

This isn't about objection

I want your permission

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