How to protect a Public Park?

In the capital city of India, in South Delhi, there is an expensive market situated in the midst of residential colony of Greater Kailash -1. The Main Market as it is popularly known has a small inside park surrounded from all four sides by attractive commercial malls stocked with expensive mostly imported stuff. Rich shoppers, instead of walking, prefer to drive their cars right upto the fornt of the shops.

As the shopkeepers also park their vehicles inside the market, and the delivery vans ply in during the day times, the congestion in the market becomes rather problematic. But the residents of the colony consider the commercial activities with the heightened vehicle emission disturbing peace and health hazards.

The shopkeepers thought of an easy solution: destroy the public park and turn the empty space into a car park. As president of the Residents Association I pleaded for maintaining the park in the general interest of citizens and environment and to make alternative arrangements for car parking.

One day, someone reported to me that “your park gone, there is now car-park.” Stunned I rushed to see the situation. Yes, The Park had gone. All the fences of the park were removed, bushes and trees were cut, and while the flattening work was underway, some 20 cars were comfortably parked inside the public park.

I rushed to the police. But the police already had received the pay off. “Is there any notice board showing that it was Park, not the car park?” asked the Station –in-charge of the local Police Station. I tried to phone the Municipal Commissioner but my phone lines were disconnected. From a pay-phone I informed the news- paperwalas who dutifully reported the matter the next day. Meanwhile, I phoned the Let.Governor of Delhi, Air Marshal (retd.) H.K..L.Kapoor and told him that whereas the local political (congress) leaders, municipal commissioners and the police were in league, the residents of the colony are united in protecting the park. “ I shall defend my Delhi’s Parks,” roared the retired Air Marshal Kapoor whom Rajiv Gandhi had given responsibility to host the Asian Games in the capital city.

Governor Kapoor ordered immediate restoration of the park. The shopkeepers, in protest, shutdown the market and attacked the workers who ventured to restore the park’s fences. The Governor rushed 200 strong Central Reserve Police Force to protect the workforce and restoration of the park continued. The Market remained closed for good five days while the park was replenished with some 400 hundred bushes to provide colourful borders and a few big trees were also planted. During this entire episode, twice attempt was made to attack my residence, and offered one lakh cash if I allowed a car park inside the market.

Encouraged by the success of the Park episode, I went for protecting and developing other parks in the colony. The campaign for planting trees was launched and today, there are five beautiful parks in the colony and the streets are protected by tall trees planted during the campaign 1990s.