As the tussle over whether vehicular movement should be allowed inside Cubbon Park continues, volunteers of Traffic Free Cubbon Park campaign have started reaching out to elected representatives for a ‘Deepavali gift’.
The gift they are seeking is a traffic-free Cubbon Park. They are gathering letters, addressed to the Chief Minister, expressing opposition to vehicular movement inside the park.
Prabha Dev, one of the volunteers, said that they had already reached out to city MLAs and MLCs. Many had agreed to support the cause, and some had even sent letters supporting the cause.
“We are expecting a response from all of them. Once we get the letters of support, we will submit a memorandum to the CM with the letters from MLAs and MLCs,” Ms. Dev said and added that it was being done in a democratic way.
“We also protested and we did not want to just end it there. Hence we have taken up this initiative as the State government is adamant on allowing traffic inside the park.”
Volunteers say that the unique campaign has been getting a positive response with various MLAs, including S. Raghu and Sowmya Reddy among others, agreeing to officially extend support to the cause.
Speaking to The Hindu , C.V. Raman Nagar MLA S. Raghu said that the extra time due to a pradakshine around the park, if vehicular movement inside is banned, would not take more than 3-4 minutes. “By banning vehicular movement, we will not only save prime lung space but we will also be venerating the park by putting a pradakshine and setting a great precedent,” he said.
In her letter addressed to the Chief Minister, Jayanagar MLA Sowmya Reddy has stated that like Lalbagh even Cubbon Park ‘should be saved as generational equity’.
“Those using the park as a thoroughfare should avoid it at all costs and instead let pedestrians, elders and children cherish the open space. A prerequisite for dreary cramped urban life,” the letter stated.
Cubbon Park, which was closed for vehicular movement since imposition of the lockdown, was opened for vehicular traffic from the second week of September. General public, many experts and environmentalists and activists have been fighting for years to convert the park into a “no traffic zone”.
