Playground wars

The lack of open space in the city has resulted in discord between Marine Drive residents and four gymkhanas situated there. The Marine Drive Residents’ Welfare Association (MDRWA) is filing a public interest litigation (PIL) against the Parsi, Hindu, Islam and Catholic Gymkhanas claiming that people are being denied use of the grounds to play on or even walk on as they are being misused for weddings and functions, reported The Times of India (TOI) on October 26, 2010. The MDRWA and some local cricket clubs have sought a complete ban on marriages, exhibitions and other non-sporting events being held on gymkhana grounds because they are being denied the right to play there. "The Parsi Gymkhana does not allow us to play there at all” while the other three permit limited access, a member of World 11 cricket club informed TOI.

While the gymkhana grounds can be let out (for not more than 30 days in a year), sporting activities should not be obstructed, according to a 1999 circular issued by the revenue and forest department. Kiran Agarwal, MDRWA president says financial difficulties made the gymkhanas let out grounds for weddings, thereby depriving cricketers of their rights... According to the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, the collector cannot rent out playgrounds for private weddings. "We are moving the court because the original lease agreement says they cannot have weddings on playgrounds,” he mentioned to TOI.

However, Rustom Antia, joint secretary of the Parsi Gymkhana has rubbished all the allegations. He told TOI: "Why doesn’t MDRWA approach us with their issues? They only believe in harassing us. There is no other source of income for us other than renting our grounds for weddings. Even senior members pay Rs 800 annually. Where do they expect us to get our income? We allow net practice everyday for cricketers, except during the monsoons. We spend Rs 30,000 in maintaining the grounds.” The general secretary of the Hindu Gymkhana and the manager of the Islam Gymkhana have endorsed this with the former saying "We are charged Rs 50,000 per wedding as per the lease agreement by the collector. On behalf of all gymkhanas I say it’s a baseless allegation.”