Article Three years ago, the villagers of Mullikulam in the Mannar district left behind their brick homes with water, toilets and beds to camp out in tents on the land they called home. Their stand lasted three months during which time they had to withstand rampaging elephants and torrential rains; the tents flooded, forcing them to return. One year earlier, they had launched a month-long protest outside the Navy occupied village demanding their land back and had been assured that it would happen very soon, but like so many before, it was an empty promise. After a year of waiting, they took matters into their own hands and decided to go back but it was an untenable situation to live without water, electricity or proper shelter.