Mumbai, Aug 12: The newly revamped August Kranti Maidan, inaugurated by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on the 81st Anniversary of the Quit India Movement last Wednesday, has an odd feel to it. The supposed crown jewel of the Maidan, the memorial to the martyrs, lies in the far right-hand corner of the ground, far away from the main entrance.
The memorial includes three wall-mounted 3d carvings and a plaque dedicated to the martyrs. But it lies so far from the public eye that the only people near the artifacts were the students of SPICE. The other visitors at the ground were on the opposite side, either sitting on benches, walking around or, in the case of children, playing football.
Another reason that the public may be dissuaded from visiting the new installations is the condition of the ground in front of it. Days after the event, the aftermath of the inauguration was still left for all to see. Chairs, bamboos, flowers, plastic, and other waste lay strewn around the ground.
A security guard at the ground, Sohan Jha, said, “I don’t know anything about the history. If you want to know more about that then go and visit the Gandhi Memorial (Mani Bhavan).”
To be fair, if you do not know where that is, just follow the Freedom Trail that starts at the Maidan, another new feature of the revamp.
