Sports Stadium Controversy: How Goons Subverted the Civic Agenda

By Kavitha Reddy

The BBMP Grounds in HSR Layout being turned into a Rs 140-crore high tech multi-purpose sports stadium with focus on cricket has irked many citizens. Before consulting the residents, the BBMP called for tenders in February 2020. When the inhabitants got to know of it, the Federation of HSR Layout Resident Welfare Associations convened a meeting on August 27 where the residents vociferously slammed the authorities for such a move.
After the August 27 meeting of HSR Layout residents, a few members of the Federation of HSR Layout Resident Welfare Associations met local MLA Sathish Reddy who asked them to meet M Ramarkrishna, Joint Commissioner (Bommanahalli). The JC’s staff presented a slide show on the disputed BBMP Grounds being turned into a sports stadium for Rs 140-crore over 20 years. While questions and answers followed, they did not share any document copies, be it the Detailed Project Report or the tender of the contractor who was awarded after the BBMP’s February 2020 notification. Armed with the new details, the Federation convened a citizen meeting again.

But this time, I was shocked by what happened. On September 2, the meeting hall was filled with people who were not invited for the discussion. It was a clear indication that the interactive session was not going to go well. At the start of every meeting, the Federation office bearers used to ask the non-invitees or non-members to leave, but no such announcement was made this time around. As the meeting began, the Federation Chairman made his opening statement, and gave additional inputs communicated by the BBMP.

I was given the opportunity to put across my point as a resident of Sector 1. The moment I said that a fee is collected even today to play cricket on the BBMP Grounds, there was an uproar from the non-invitees. These vested interests were jeering me, and making uncharitable comments. A grim uncivil situation was created, and somehow, I got a feeling that these elements will not allow me to complete my statement. Suddenly, a few arguments began on the side-lines, and a member of 2nd Sector was almost pushed around. It became an emotionally-charged atmosphere, prompting the police to enter the meeting ground. With their entry, all the noise makers calmed down a bit.

However, I refused to be cowed down by the people who wanted to silence and provoke me. I asked the HSR Federation Chairman to share the DPR, tender documents, work flow, fund allocation, and so on, and added that it was a standard procedure in any government or BBMP project.

It was obvious that there were no documents. Instead of the Federation office bearers just noting the points given by the residents, each member was trying to offer a rebuttal to what I was saying, while the rest of the uninvited people were creating noise even while the police sat through the meeting without taking any action.

I continued to speak and told the Federation Chairman to note down the points of every speaker, and not to respond and interrupt. I stood firm on my stand that the playground needs proper development, and the stadium that is getting pushed down people’s throats without any documentation is not the right answer. A playground, like in many other localities, is an open space that everyone needs, and any plan to make it into a stadium would mean losing a locality playground forever. I gave the inputs on the finer points of how this would lead to further commercialization, and encourage more non-sports events. As a sportsperson who represented at the state and university level, I shared all the details on how Sports Associations affiliated to different Karnataka Sports Associations make use of playgrounds like these.

I was just one of three dissenters at the meet. All those who spoke against the stadium in the previous meeting had either changed their stand or were silent because of the unwelcome company they were forced to keep. The fear of being targeted by the vested interest groups had shaken all the RWA members. The clapping and jeering continued. Many RWA members felt that their voices were being silenced, and they were not able to freely express their opinions. The RWA members realized that it was better to keep calm despite provocations.

The meeting ended without any concrete action points, and the uninvited people with vested interests ended up leaving a bad taste because of their rogue behaviour that was uncalled for. When the objective was to demand transparency and discuss ways to save the playground from becoming a commercial enterprise with minimum upgradation (which has always been the demand of the residents), barging into an uninvited meeting and creating chaos put the entire meeting in bad light.

Many of my friends who came to know about what happened at the meeting expressed their displeasure on the entire episode of making verbal personal attacks to silence conscientious residents. They also expressed their solidarity with all those who were trying their best to save the playground for the future generation.

Any large project needs full transparency. Since public money is involved, the voices of the residents are critical. Projects like these, without an open discussion and planning, will only add to the list of money being wasted on what the locals may not even use or want.

However, all is not lost yet. We have the media’s support, and several proactive residents across HSR Layout who are doing everything they can to ensure that the status quo is maintained.

Postscript: Now, the Federation is conducting meetings with every sector RWA to assess the ground reality. I am sure justice will triumph once again like the way it did after the playground was prevented from becoming a judges colony by the Karnataka High Court several years ago.

Kavitha Reddy is a mountaineer, environmental activist, Kempegowda Awardee and India Book of Record Holder for the longest cycling and walking yatra.