Mumbai: ‘Will never vacate Mani’s. It’s my dad’s blood & sweat’

Mani’s Lunch Home near Ruia College in Matunga. Pic/Atul Kamble (right) Rajamani Iyer, who along with his siblings, runs the eatery now

I will never vacate this place. It is the sweat and hard work of my late father V S Mani Iyer, who started this establishment in Matunga in 1937, when he was just 21-years old. The hotel is close to our heart. We have done no wrong, so why are we being harassed," asked Rajamani Iyer of Mani's Lunch Home, Matunga. mid-day on January 4 reported that the landlord has asked the management of this iconic eatery to vacate the premises. Iyer, however, is firm that they do not want to leave the property which they took on pagdi rent system.

Iyer said the landlord has been sending eviction notices since the past few months. "This is a pagdi property, and my father would pay a very nominal pagdi rent to the landlords, who reside in the same ground-plus-one storey building. Similar eviction letters have been sent to the other shop occupants in the building," he said.

When asked to elaborate, he said, "He [landlord] never sent such an eviction letter when my elder brother Narayanswamy was alive. It is nothing but harassment and a way to create pressure on the tenants so that they vacate the premises."

The Mani's Lunch Home at Matunga was the first one set by up V S Mani Iyer (inset) in 1937

"The landlord had approached us almost a year ago, with a proposal to convert the existing pagdi system to a leave and licence agreement for a period of three years. I expressed our disinterest to change the mode. Instead, our advocate stated that we were willing to increase the pagdi rent, but the other side was not willing to budge," Iyer added.

Also Read: Mumbai: Now, the other Mani's Lunch Home in Matunga is also under threat!

Lawyer calls notice frivolous

Advocate Subhash Ghatge, who represents Mani's Lunch Home, said, "The landlord is trying to unnecessarily harass my client by sending frivolous letters for eviction since the past few months."

"My clients have been running the hotel lawfully and with various valid licences from the civic corporation. The landlord had, without any authority, demanded copies of the licences. My clients acknowledged the request and furnished copies, but the landlord, for reasons best known to him, is continuing to harass them," he added.

Mani's History

Iyer told mid-day, "My late father hailed from Palghat, Kerala. He used to accompany a well-known cook and learnt the art of cooking. It was during the outbreak of smallpox in Kerala that my late parents V S Mani Iyer and Anandha came to Mumbai to make a living and started this eatery."

"My father introduced authentic idli and dosa to Mumbai. He would carry the South Indian breakfast on his bicycle to places like Five Gardens and Dadar Parsi colony to promote his outlet near Ruia college in Matunga East," he said, adding, "The income from this hotel was used by my parents to educate their five children - Narayanswamy, Raghu, Krishna, Raman and me and the next generation families."

He added, "Unfortunately, after the demise of our father, it was Narayanswamy, the eldest of the five siblings, who took charge of the hotel. He gradually set up an additional hotel in Matunga, which was later shifted to Chembur. After his death, all the remaining brothers and their children have now come together to run our age-old traditional hotel, which is also the source of our livelihood."

Long-time patron's view

K A Vishwanathan, a Matunga resident and family friend of the Iyers, said, "The Matunga Mani's was the first of the three hotels started by V S Mani Iyer in 1937. At that time, pagdi system prevailed in Mumbai and the hotel premises were taken on lease in the same system."

"Pagdi is a traditional tenancy rental model where the renter is also part owner of the house. The rent was also very meagre since most of the buildings were constructed before independence. In our building, the tenants had to pay the pagdi rent for 100 months to become the owner of the house after the redevelopment of the building," he explained.

Speaking of his own family's past, he said, "My father late K S Anantharaman Iyer came to Mumbai from Palakkad in Kerala in 1925 and found a place to stay in Matunga, which was considered a South Indian-dominated area. At that time, he would pay Rs 2 per month for a one room and kitchen flat which was taken on pagdi system. By 2000, when the building was redeveloped, the rent had increased to Rs 60. As per rules of the pagdi system, the landlord has to give tenants flats in the redeveloped buildings."

1937
Year when Mani's Lunch Home was started

21
Age (in years) of V S Mani Iyer when he set up Mani's