Gandhi Bagh to embrace forest of concrete, but Hailakandi Municipality drops plan to make commercial building in Nehru Children’s Park

September 17: When on one hand, inspite of strong demand from civil society, Silchar Municipal Board is determined to go ahead with handing over Gandhi Bagh to private players for construction of 5 star hotel, shopping mall & amusement park, the citizens of Hailakandi along with Hailakandi unit of ABVP, compelled the Hailakandi Municipal Board to drop the idea of making commercial establishments inside the Nehru Children Park located at the heart of the town.

A few days ago, on 5 September, 2019 Urban Development Minister Pijush Hazarika laid the foundation stone of an Amusement Park at Gandhi Bagh, Silchar amidst roaring protest by civil society led by Sammilito Sanskritik Mancha, Silchar & Cachar District Congress. Concerned citizens voiced protest against construction of a 5 star hotel and shopping plaza by Assam Progressive Developers Limited (APDL) inside the park.

On the same day, Minister Pijush Hazarika also laid the foundation stone of a new park inside the existing Nehru Children’s Park in the heart of Hailakandi.

However, it soon came to surface that Hailakandi Municipal Board has planned to construct shops and market complex inside this children park on a commercial basis. In this regard, a Facebook post by eminent citizen of Hailakandi, Manik Chakraborty caught the attention of the civil society. Instantly, the news spread like a wild fire. Civil society of Hailakandi rose into severe protest against the decision of Hailakandi Municipality. Strong demand was raised against making commercial establishments destroying the green of the existing Nehru Children’s Park.

Hailakandi unit of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also launched a massive protest movement. Members of ABVP on Monday held a protest outside Hailakandi’s Nehru Children Park over reports that park will be handed over to private players for commercial establishments. The park is currently managed by Hailakandi Municipal Board. Members of ABVP also put saffron flags in bamboo poles in every part of the garden thereby warning the Hailakandi Municipality not to go ahead with any such construction crossing the bamboo poles put there by them. ABVP also threatened to carry out a massive protest movement on Wednesday.

In the meantime, the protest started to intensify as ABVP, Nagarik Adhikar Rakkha Samiti, The Greens, Hailakandi Merchants Association and many others joined together in massive protest against the move of Hailakandi Municipality. Just then, on 17 September, 2019, a meeting was convened in the office of Hailakandi Municipality, which was chaired by Executive Officer Pradip Timum. But curiously, Shayamali Roy, Chairperson of Hailakandi Municipality was absent in this meeting. The meeting was attended by many organisations who were involved in protest demonstration.

It was a marathon meeting and went for around 3 hours. After hearing grievances from the people of the society at large, it was unanimously decided that “Hailakandi Municipal Board drops its plan to make any commercial establishment inside Nehru Children’s Park.” Thus, it was a great victory for the people of Hailakandi, a victory for protecting & preserving the green, a victory against erecting forest of concrete, a victory for the little children who could play inside the children’s park.

Expressing his reaction, a cultural activist associated with Sammilito Sanskritik Mancha, Silchar said, “Hailakandi Municipal Board proved how to respect the civil society, which the present Silchar Municipal Board has probably never learnt. Snatching away green for greed of concrete buildings & earning profit is probably the mark of barbarism which the so-called civic organisations has failed to fathom.”