The town crier ringing his bell to deliver important messages may well be a thing of the past.
Activists oppose BMC plan to have car parks underneath open spaces
The town crier ringing his bell to deliver important messages may well be a thing of the past. However, the bell is all set to make a comeback as the instrument to draw attention to the cause of open spaces in the city. If you are one of those who believe in saving the city’s playgrounds, you may want to join in a unique protest-cum-awareness drive on December 30 by over 10,000 activists across Mumbai.
Opposed to the BMC’s plan to construct underground parking at some open spaces, members of the Maidan Bachao Samiti (MBS), an NGO that fights for open spaces, and other activists from the city, will gather at playgrounds and ring bells for over half an hour.
Bhaskar Sawant, president of MBS, said, “We want to do this so that elected representatives and the government show concern over the importance of open spaces.”
The activists also intend to make residents aware about the importance of the grounds in their vicinity. Believing that the citizens should no longer depend on others to fight for their issues, Sawant said, “They should come out to save their open grounds the way others are doing.”
The activists also lay emphasis on the involvement of youth. “Youngsters’ routine has become monotonous, with little time being devoted to outdoor sports. They prefer computer games for recreation. The fight to save open spaces will be futile if people do not use them for sports,” added Sawant.
Activists also suggest that the government should adopt a holistic approach towards sports. VV Karmarkar, former sports editor of Maharashtra Times, said, “The government is completely ignoring sports. Sharad Pawar and Vilasrao Deshmukh started their career as sports ministers, but despite Pawar heading Maharashtra Olympic Association, there has been no growth of sports.” According to Karmarkar, instead of increasing stadium capacities for cricket matches, the government should promote other sports as well. “They should consider the suggestion that large public and private sector companies adopt a particular sport and provide infrastructure for its growth,” said Karmarkar.
He said that only cricket has grown as a sport due to the revenue it generates through wide television coverage. Karmakar said space should be allocated as per the needs of a particular sport, for which a census needs to be undertaken.
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