By Savita Bhave Translation Nandu Dange

diversionary tactics!” Leo Kaka regularly gifted saplings to the guests and theywere also asked to plant trees on the premises.A couple of landowners objected to the electric supply lines running throughtheir lands. Leo Kaka handled them in his own fashion. Menon always wantedhis people to treat Government officials with courtesy. On one occasion, whena batch of cement sacks was delivered, it was found to be two quintals shortof the ‘way bill’ figure. An argument ensued between the supervisor on dutyand the driver. The matter went to the police, and then the transportersintervened. The cement department decided to stop cement supplies toMenon. Eventually the matter had to be cleared through much cajoling andentreaty. Menon then reminded his people, “Remember: here, we are in thejungle and we need to have everyone including the animals on our side."Menon had drawn up a master plan for Amboli. It included a township and aservice school. When he was shown the site first selected for the colony heturned it down: it had a clear view of the factory and he felt it would put theresidents under constant pressure. He was of the view that workers and staffwere not cogs in a wheel. He then made plans to acquire a 50-acre plot atnearby Bhatkar Wadi. Menon had planned a plantation drive right from thestart of the project. He toured the adjoining forests in a jeep in company ofMande and Mahesh Bage a photographer specially brought in from Kolhapur.He would instruct Bage to photograph trees and then order selected ones tobe planted on his land. Shivram Raje Bhosale had a 35-acre piece of landadjoining Menon’s, and Menon had issued instructions to make enquiries if itwas available. On hearing later that the land had been cleared of allvegetation, he remarked that now he wouldn't want it even if it were availablefor one rupee. Menon was a nature lover and he had seen the seasonalchanges in the vegetation on his several trips to Sawantwadi. He had orderedphotographs to be shot of the changes and had planned a company calendarbased on these. He so much admired Leo Kaka’s love of nature that he oncetold him of his intention of erecting a statue of Leo in the jungle.The entire venture at Amboli was the answer to a challenge, which Menonsaw before him. Nature regularly unleashed her fury in the shape of lashingrain and howling winds. But Menon was determined to give his dreamsconcrete shape right there. What he could see in his minds eye wasglobalisation. His ambition was to erect the type of factory he had seenabroad in just such surroundings, to manufacture world class castings andexport them all over the world. He also wanted the work culture of thedeveloped countries to be absorbed here, and so took the counsel of hisadvisor Varadan when he selected people to work with him.Menon had set norms for recruitment at Amboli and made no exceptions atany cost. The State Minister in charge of Ratnagiri District, Bhai Sawant, senta batch of a dozen young men accompanied by the Collector and the PoliceSuperintendent to Menon in a vehicle, with a demand that they be hired. Mostof these had earlier been disqualified. Abhay Nevagi, Personnel Manager,asked Menon, “Are you firm in your norms?” Menon bluntly told Bhai Sawantnot to send people in this fashion: if there were such interference, it would be