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She cowers in fear and asks, "Yes, I am sleepless, but also helpless. I am also frightened. The resort constantly intimidates me all the time. My own relations counsel caution and ask me to bear with it all. All of them, except me, have sold their lands to the Resort.

""What can you, a lonely, spinster do?", they ask me. I think they are right. I have no confidence that the police or citizens or the state will rally to my side if I speak out against any unlawful goings-on or my personal stress. I think my days are over. We are in a new India."

Baby Amma and I have been friends and neigbours for 24 years. I am about 500 metres from the party scene next to her, but noise from there late into the night keeps me awake as well. Baby Amma is too scared to join any campaign. I understand—but don't agree with—her when she says, she has little choice but to keep quiet.

She also gently ribs me and says that being a well-to-do man, I have many choices not available to her.

I disagree. But then, she doesn't know that for over four years now, I have been travelling in India and writing about this country's little known fighters. My choice too is limited. I either shut-down GoodNewsIndia, or speak up. I am therefore, member Number-001 of ECCO.