Even as the State government has set its sights on achieving ‘Arogya Andhra Pradesh’, Vijayawada, the second biggest city in the State, is yet to address the issue of shrinking open spaces.
The ongoing feud between the Andhra Loyola College and walkers brings to fore this issue. While the city has four major playgrounds, only Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) stadium is in the centre of the city. But many complain that the stadium remains closed every now and then.
Therefore, many prefer going to the nearest college and school grounds for walking. Walkers in the areas surrounding the Andhra Loyola College have been using the grounds for walking for decades. However, the management has now banned entry of public without permission into the premises.
Before the pandemic, more than 700 people used to come here for their morning walk, members of the now-dissolved Andhra Loyola College Walkers’ Association say.
When the pandemic broke out, many institutions, where walking was permitted, closed their gates to the public. While most of them reopened gradually as the pandemic threat ended, Andhra Loyola College’s grounds remained out of bounds. During this time, the association members, all scattered, started looking for other options to continue their regimen. However, they waited for the ALC to open the gates.
For people like Krishna Rao and Ravi Ramesh, walking companions, coming here was more than just a morning exercise. “We have been walking together for decades and formed an emotional bond with fellow walkers. It is a means of socialising for many of us,” says Mr. Krishna Rao, who has been coming to the college since 1985.
“Moreover, walking on cement roads left me with knee pain, while the parks in our colonies are too small to walk,” adds Mr. Krishna Rao, a resident of NTR Colony.
Since June last year, the members of the association have staged many protests, submitted representations to the district officials, MP, MLA and even Ministers requesting that they be allowed to use the premises. The management maintained that the activities of the association were a source of disturbance to students.
In November, during the silent protests for 18 days, the walkers once again called out the management for being unjust in keeping the premises closed to the public. The latter, however, said the decision to keep the gates closed was taken in the interests of students and teachers.
“We were never a disturbance for the students. Most of us come at 5 a.m. and leave by 7.30 a.m., much before the classes start. Our walking here was never a bone of contention between the college and us until recently. We do not know what went wrong,” Mr. Krishna Rao says.
After getting relevant permissions from the officials, as the walkers began using the grounds, the college management, on January 16, issued a statement warning trespassers of legal action. “The grounds are a private property and entry into the premises without permission would be dealt with severely,” it said.
The management did not respond to this reporter.
Despite the statement, a few people have resumed walking here. However, the number remains low. As the issue grew, the management released a video, titled ‘Save Loyola’, on January 27, putting forth their version. In it, they raised an objection to the campus being used as a public park. When the walkers tried to break into the gates, the police did not help them, the management said.
They also objected to the college name being used for forming an association and organising activities and forming sub-groups, which is against their ethos.
“But, we dissolved our 20-year-old association at the behest of the management. It is not right on their part to antagonise the neighbourhood,” said Mr. Ravi Ramesh, a cycling enthusiast.
The walkers said they also chipped in ₹3 lakh to ₹4 lakh every year for the upkeep of the grounds and for setting up of other infrastructure. From the funds belonging to the association of more than 3,000 members, they set up a dais, a few benches and other amenities, they added.
As the feud between the two continues, one question that remains on the walkers’ minds is why did they have to knock on the doors of officials for a simple request such as this. Once again, they are reaching out to Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development P. Narayana for help. “It is our right, after all,” says Mr. Ramesh.
