( Recap – In the first part I narrated, despite myself being a man of niggardly disposition and of parsimonious nature, how in a swing of mode, once I happened to buy a pair of jogging shoes and a track suit. This ever nagged me as an exorbitant wastage of money, hence I decided to initiate an evening walk, so these articles be used. When I related my this intention to my friends, all they mocked at me. Some of them, even mentioned about the perils of being hit on road while on walk. Upon that, with a swag I told them, I lived in a colony which already had had a safe park for the purpose. This made them defeated.)
Some historical facts about the Park
The park, I boasted about to my friends had an interesting background of its coming into existence. Not long ago, there existed a big water pond, adjacent to an old timed Shiva temple in the locality where I happen to stay now. At that time, it was a rural area. The temple still stands there with all its grace. As it had been an old tradition in rural India, big land lords often used to donate some lands and other properties for the construction of some worshiping place. The same thing occurred with this temple. A big Lord Shiva temple got constructed by a land Lord of the locality in the erstwhile time. He along with a big water pond that stretched in few acres and was part of his property and attached to the temple, donated all that as a charity for religious purposes. It was considered, if a temple is situated near a water source, it brings virtue to people. With the same intent, the genial Land lord donated, his this part of the property to public.
With the passing of time, the urbanization took hold of this area. Not so long back, our colony too was the part of the same village civic body and had an elected village head man as per the constitution. Later on, it got merged into Municipal Corporation. The seat of elected village head man now got replaced by a new title as Councilor of the Ward. The same old timed village head man, being a political person firstly got elected as councilor and with the passing of time succeeded to obtain the ticket for State Legislative Assembly and elevated to the post of M L A ( Member of Legislative Assembly .)
The general background of the L M A
This M L A of our constituency had an interesting background, and this sort of background we often found with all our political leaders. Prior to him, his late father was village head man. After his father’s demise, he got elected to the post of village head man. At that period of time, vast area of land of the village civic body happened to come under his control and supervision as the head man’s authority. In practice, often village head man misused the authority and allotted and granted unlawfully, small pieces of land to needy people indirectly on sale. On papers, it was free of cost but behind the curtain, a substantial amount but below the market price were duly received. This corruptible practice helped them hoard a wealth.
This sort of corruptible malpractice often is in fashion, in our modern Indian political system. Even the land adjacent to the rivers, rivulets been sold by these kinds of petty politicians to common needy people. This wealth earned from malpractice is used by them to win the election. Apart from, new residents of such areas too cast their votes to such leaders under obligation.
In fact, our this sitting M L A had a long plan, conceived in his mind about the use of this big water pond as well. To realize his plan, he firstly manipulated that all garbage gathered from local colonies be dumped on the bank of this pond. Gradually, that garbage pile began to absorb the water of the pond. Not only this, he made to cut off the permanent aqua duct that worked as the permanent water source to this pond. In coming few years pond got dried up completely. Further, it took long years to fill up this pond with garbage and becoming a plain land. In between all this process, this area had developed as a prime location owing to fast urbanization. In the surrounding of Lord Shiva temple, new colonies had erected with buildings and only costly land of the once old timed pond was into the radar of the M L A sahib.
Other land Mafias
Since, the M L A was not the only land mafia of the locality. An army of land mafias too existed there, who had a vulture eye upon this piece of land. Secondly. old timed original denizens too had there presence in the locality, some of them were staunch rivals to the sitting M L A. A good numbers of conspiracies by such land mafias were planned to grab the land of the pond. In this process, many scams got unfold and surfaced up, various claimant came up .The entire case constantly became as the flashing news in local newspapers. M L A sahib too were determined, either I will sell it off or no other one. In this quarrel, the real beneficiary became the third party, who were no where in the picture, and it was the general public.
The M L A, when found it impossible to dispose off the land, with an intent to defeat all his rivals succeeded to get passed a plan from the district Authority. In that plan, the entire disputed land got merged into the State and a public park was declared on this land. At the beginning, it was planned that this place be developed as a pavilion, and some construction in shape of stair cases sittings, for audiences, too were proceeded. Later on, again map got changed. It was suggested, since there existed once a water pond in the old time, hence a water pool should also be there. In pursuance to that plan a big water pool too got constructed. But later, the apprehension of little children be fallen in that pond, forced the authority, never to fill it up with water. Now a days, in that dried pool little brats enjoys cricket game.
Any how, in this muddle a high protective walls all around the park got erected and on the round periphery of the park a safe jogger’s lane too were developed by the authority. On the North and south side of the walls, two giant gates were given, modern electricity facility to light up the park in early morning and in late evening too provided. Some shades with steeled sitting chairs to facilitate the tired walkers too provided. Luxuriant greenly in shape of different kinds of plants and shrubs too is there. people extend their thanks to M L A Sahib for this facility and cast their votes for him at the present scenario. Thousands of voters earned as such are worth of millions of rupees for a politician, no doubt.
This park now remains bustled with the crowd of people who visit here for stroll. From early dawn to the late evening people enjoy the facility of the place. In the morning and at the evening, people tired with life, like me visit the park in the name of “Walk. In the day time children enjoy the gambol. In the late night, some drunkards and hemp smokers too take the benefit of the lonely place, though stealthily. Well Gentle man, this was the story of the majestic park of my colony, where I now started my evening walk on regular basis . (Cont’d In next part) Penned by — Vinay Pharasi …..
