“We want a playground. Don’t keep us out.”
Residents of Indiranagar took up this chant to the beat of drums by a local school band on Saturday morning. They had come out in force and staged a peaceful protest to prevent their playground from being converted into an indoor stadium. The overcast sky, intermittent rain and bracing winds did little to dampen the fervour at Victory Playground, an open space that has been part of the neighbourhood for more than 50 years.
Residents' s apprehensionThe protest was organised by several Residents’ Welfare Associations after Bengaluru Development Minister K. J. George announced on Monday that he had instructed the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited and the BBMP to develop the grounds into an indoor stadium. Residents are worried that it is just another way to exclude them from accessing the playground.
“As it is, there are very few open spaces for children to play in. Reducing that number by even one makes no sense. This is ridiculous,” said Ashok, who lives in Indiranagar 2nd Stage.
The protest had a big representation of its most important stakeholders: children. Clad in their uniforms, students from two schools in the neighbourhood — Holy Shepherd School and Kairalee Niketan School — came with drums, flag poles and whistles to lend their voice.
They have a reason to protest: this playground located at Stage 1, 4th Main road, is where they hold all their sporting activities and tournaments. It’s the only place for them to let off steam during their lunch break and after school.
Children held placards saying: ‘Don’t stop our right to play’; ‘Please leave the ground for us’; ‘We cannot play on the road’; ‘The ground is for children’ and ‘We want our ground to be free’ during the two-hour protest.
